Burnout
by Weissangel24
Summary: Quatre's empathic abilities are growing and he doesn't know how to handle it. Will he survive? or will he be driven insane by it? (Finally Completed-)
1. Prologue

Burnout  
  
By Weissangel24  
  
08/14/03  
  
The boring legal stuff:  
  
Warning: This fic contains violence, mild language, light Ooc, and Shounen- ai. If such things bother you either don't read it or keep your comments  
to yourself.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing or any of the characters. This fic was written purely for the enjoyment of crazed fans such as myself. I'm not getting rich off of this, so please don't sue me. I need what little  
money I have to get married.  
  
Comments and Criticisms are welcomed, but please don't be nasty about them.  
  
I am the self nominated Queen of Sap.  
  
You have been warned.  
  
^-^  
  
Timeline: AU. This story happens before Quatre builds Wing Zero. All of  
the pilots know each other and have become trusted comrades, if not  
friends.  
  
Author's note: This is early on in the story and difficult to give an  
accurate timeline at the moment.  
Warning: Timeline may subject to change.  
  
Arigato.  
  
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Prologue  
  
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The sounds of explosions echoed through the stormy night, rivaled only by the clash of thunder. Despite the torrential downpour, many large fires burned out of control through out the city. Screams of terror from civilians filled the night amidst the sounds of enemy mobile suits.  
  
Quatre Raberba Winner watched all of this pan out from the cockpit of his Gundam Sandrock. He felt so helpless. People were dying and there was nothing he could do. Every injury sent an ache through his heart. Every death, a pin prick of pain. Every tormented heart grieving the deaths of lost loved ones sent pure agony through him, leaving him incapacitated. The blonde was paler than usual. His skin felt cold and he found breathing difficult, for the confines of the cockpit were suffocating.  
  
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"Colonel, the Gundam 04 is not retaliating. It's just standing there." A young lt. reported, "Orders, Ma'am?"  
  
The cold image of Lady Une blipped on the screen, //Destroy it of course!// she ordered.  
  
"Ma'am!" The lt. acknowledged maneuvering his black Aries to attack.  
  
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// Q-man!// Duo's frantic voice yelled over the com. // You've got incoming!// The braided Gundam pilot got no response from his subdued partner. //Damn it, Quatre! Snap out of it or you're going to be destroyed!//  
  
The blonde was hunched over, his thin fingers tearing at his heart trying to find some relief from the horrors he was sensing. "Oh, Allah." he whimpered.  
  
//QUATRE!// Duo screamed as Deathscythe slashed at a land Leo with its thermal scythe. //WATCH OUT!//  
  
Slowly, almost surreally, the smaller pilot registered the desperateness of the warning and looked up to see a large missile headed directly for him. For a moment, the traumatized boy simply watched it sail towards him. Then, some small sense of realization struck him and in a panicked attempt, he tried to move his trusted Sandrock out of the way. However, the pain from the frightened people bombarded the empathy and he became instantly paralyzed.  
  
//QUATRE!//  
  
The only thing left for the Arabian pilot was to watch his impending doom come and scream.  
  
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"TROWA!"  
  
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A crash of thunder followed by a flash of blinding lightening filled the room. Once died, the only remaining sounds were the steady pitter patter of rain from the roof, and the near hyperventilating rhythm of the terrified boy's breathing, as he jolted awake.  
  
Blinking away sleep, the disoriented blonde began to get his bearings. 'I'm alive.' He thought with a shudder, his fingers tightly wrapped in his sweat soaked sheets. 'I'm in my room.' Another wave of thunder and lightening boomed in the night. Quatre jumped, "It was a nightmare?" He pondered aloud.  
  
"One of the strongest you've had in a long time." A stoic boy said with a note of concern. He set down a lit candle on the nightstand and sat on the bed next to the dazed boy, "Power is out." He explained.  
  
Mutely, the Arabian nodded, the emotions and visions of the dream still seeming too real. "Was I loud?" He whispered, his thin form shivering with left over fright and adrenaline.  
  
"A little." The taller boy admitted honestly. "You woke me, however, Hiiro has of yet to burst in here, weapons drawn, so I don't think you were too bad." Again the blonde mutely nodded. "Are you okay?"  
  
The blonde's blue eyes glistened in the dim light of the candle. No matter how he replied, Trowa knew that he was still shaken up. "I. I will be." Quatre answered in all honesty.  
  
"It was THE dream?" The banged boy cocked an eyebrow.  
  
The blonde pondered the question. The taller boy was referring to another dream, similar to the one he just had. One that repeatedly haunted his sleepless nights. "Iie." He answered quietly, "This is another.I'm sorry to have woken you."  
  
"It's alright." The taller boy said looking at the cream colored carpet, "You saved me from my own nightmare."  
  
"Oh." the smaller boy murmured.  
  
They sat in a comfortable silence for a long while just listening to the raging storm. After a time, the banged boy blinked his visible green eye as if fighting off sleep while stifling a yawn that threatened to escape him.  
  
"Oh!" The blonde gasped, "Gomen, Trowa! I didn't mean to keep you up! You have a mission in the morning too! Oh- Gomen ne!" Quatre's fingers curled into his covers, "I wasn't trying to be selfish."  
  
Trowa watched the smaller teenager with mild amusement as he began to worry himself into a frenzy. The stoic teenager even allowed himself a small smile towards the blonde.  
  
"You should go back to bed!" Quatre insisted, "You might get hurt if you're not rested for your mission! Please, Tro-." His pleading was silenced as Trowa covered Quatre's mouth with his fingers. The blonde blinked startled, "T.Trowa?"  
  
"Don't worry about me." He said standing. "I couldn't sleep, even if I wanted to." He glanced at the old fashioned coo-coo clock that hung by the door, "Besides, I'd have to get up in twenty minutes anyway." He offered another faint smile towards the smaller boy, "What about you? It's your day off, you should sleep in."  
  
Another wave of thunder bellowed followed by an exquisite display of lightening. Quatre flinched away form the mighty acts of God. "Me?" The blonde shook his head slowly, his eyes down cast. "Iie, sleep will not return to me, not tonight anyway."  
  
Trowa raised an eyebrow, "Oh? Is that so?" Quatre nodded. "In that case, why don't we have some tea or something before the others wake?"  
  
Quatre's blue eyes met the banged boy's visible green. "I.I'd like that. very much. thank you."  
  
"Then come along." Trowa gestured to the candle.  
  
The blonde reached for the burning stick of white wax and after donning his slippers, padded across the plush carpet to where the taller boy waited. The smaller boy looked up and smiled gently, before a rage of thunder startled him, making him yelp and almost drop the candle.  
  
Quatre leaned against the wall, avoiding Trowa's inquiring look, his cheeks flush with embarrassment. "I.I'm sorry."  
  
"You're afraid of thunder?"  
  
Quatre frowned, "It's childish, I know.It's just."  
  
"It sounds like artillery fire." Trowa supplied.  
  
Quatre looked up at him amazed, "Exactly.How did." Trowa shrugged. "You won't tell?"  
  
"Why would I?"  
  
"Don't you think it's a weakness?" Quatre asked. "That I might freeze during battle?"  
  
Trowa looked down at the smaller boy, as the thunder rolled again, though this time it sounded farther away. Still, the blonde cringed against the sound. "It never crossed my mind."  
  
Again the blonde looked up at him in awe, and then he humbly bowed his head, "Thank you, Trowa."  
  
The taller boy took the candle from his friend, "Come on. The storm is almost over, and I could really use some coffee." Quatre nodded and followed him down to the kitchen.  
  
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Both pilots were surprised to see that the kitchen already had occupants.  
  
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To be continued. 


	2. Chapter one

Author's note: I got really positive reviews for this story and a lot of pleading for it to continue. I even got one "threat" it I didn't ^-^. Anyway, I don't like to disappoint people, so I've been working hard on the next several chapters and I've completed this one, the next one, and am halfway done with chapter three. Just be warned though, they haven't been beta'd yet. If you want to beta them for me, please let me know, I'd greatly appreciate it. When they are beta'd, I'll post the corrected ones. Thank you for reading and as always, keep the reviews coming!  
  
I want to give a special thank you to Sailorcelestial for her help on the  
prologue.  
::huggles:: You're the best!  
  
Arigato, Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter one  
  
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"Oi, Ohayo!" Duo called from his place at the table. "Go fish, Hiiro." He said turning back to the other two pilots who sat across him. A candle sat by each of them.  
  
"O.Ohayo, Duo. Hiiro, Wu Fei." Quatre greeted quietly, pulling up a chair next to the braided pilot. "What are you doing up so early?"  
  
"Playing Go Fish with Mr. No Fun and Mr. Sore Loser." Duo grinned. Hiiro and Wu Fei both glared at the pilot known as Shinigami.  
  
Quatre chuckled nervously as he was caught by the twin glares of death as well, "Um. . . That's not what I meant, Duo. It's not even 4:00 yet."  
  
The braided boy shrugged and handed the Chinese boy a three that he had asked for. "Just couldn't sleep. Got a two, Hiiro?" The Japanese boy handed him the card and the American slammed the pair on the table, "I'm out!" Grinning, he counted his pairs, "I got six."  
  
"Four." Hiiro counted.  
  
"Two." Wu Fei grumbled, throwing his cards on the table.  
  
"Arigato. . ." Quatre murmured as Trowa handed him a cup of tea. The banged boy then took his own cup of coffee and sat at the end of the table between the quiet blonde and the stoic pilot of Wing Gundam, placing his own candle on the table.  
  
"Have you gone over the mission specs?" Hiiro asked, tossing a glance at the banged boy.  
  
Trowa nodded, "Will the weather cause any problems?"  
  
"Maybe. There's another set of thunderstorms following closely to the one that just hit. It may cause a visual hindrance, but stay on thermal sensors and that should be okay."  
  
"It may just provide the extra coverage we need." Trowa pondered.  
  
"How long do you expect this mission to last?" Quatre asked, staring into his dark tea.  
  
Hiiro and Trowa exchanged glances before the banged boy answered, "It's a long term assignment."  
  
"Oh. . ." the blonde murmured.  
  
"You okay, Quat?" Duo asked, nudging the smaller boy with his elbow as Wu Fei collected the cards and began to shuffle them with a vengeance. "Easy, Wu-man. You do know that the cards didn't do anything to you, right?"  
  
The Chinese boy's glare deepened, "So what are we playing for now?"  
  
"Gin?" Hiiro asked.  
  
"Poker!" Duo grinned, "I'm short of cash at the moment and I feel like winning yours!"  
  
"Baka." Wu Fei sneered, "Like you felt like winning the last time we played? You still owe me seventy-five dollars!"  
  
"How did you manage that, Duo?" Quatre asked, still not looking up from his tea, which he had yet to drink.  
  
"Eh. . ." The braided boy shrugged, his face slightly red, "That's not important! So what would you like to play?"  
  
The blonde shrugged, "Anything other than war. . . I guess. . ." he replied so quietly that Trowa barely heard him.  
  
Duo eyed his friend seriously, "Quatre, are you okay?" He asked again.  
  
"Mmm?" The blue eyes finally left the tea, "Yeah. . . I'm fine." He offered a shaky smile.  
  
"How about Old Maid?" The banged one suggested.  
  
"Hey! Yeah!" Duo exclaimed, snatching the deck away from Wu Fei, and dealing out the cards. Quatre stood, pushing back his chair. "Hey, where are ya going?" The braided boy protested as the blonde picked up his candle.  
  
"Gomen ne, Duo, but I'm not really in the mood to play cards." He smiled softly before leaving the kitchen.  
  
Trowa's eye followed him until the door closed, and then he looked at the untouched tea. He blinked startled as Duo thrust his cards into his face. "Pick one, Trowa!" the braided boy grinned.  
  
"Sorry." The banged boy apologized, "But, I'm not much of a card player." And with that, he also picked up his candle and left the kitchen.  
  
"What's up with them?" The braided one pouted as he divvied up the forgotten cards.  
  
Wu Fei shrugged, as he looked at his cards. 'Damn. . ." He silently swore, 'I got the joker!'  
  
"Whatever it is better not jeopardize the mission." Hiiro warned as he studied and strategically arranged his hand.  
  
Duo frowned at him, "Uh. . . Hiiro, it's Old Maid. . . There's no strategy involved. . ."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Are we going to play or what?" Wu Fei snapped.  
  
Duo rolled his eyes and selected one of Hiiro's cards. Upon making a match, he set it aside and offered his hand to the impatient Chinese boy.  
  
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Quatre stood in front of his Gundam Sandrock, in the dark. His candle had gone out when he ran from the house to the secret shed, in the down pour. He was shivering in his wet pajamas, which were dripping, forming a puddle at his feet. The blonde looked up at the tall machine. "Sandrock. . ." He whispered through chattering teeth, "It happened again. . . I saw it and. . . and. . ."  
  
A loud clap of thunder boomed loudly both startling and frightening the boy. With a yelp and a whimper, He hid behind one of Sandrock's massive feet. Crouched down, He pulled his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them. Alone and scared, the boy allowed himself to cry, till a restless sleep claimed him.  
  
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'The thunder seems angry.' Trowa mused as he wondered the house, searching for the smaller boy. 'I hope he's alright. . .' The banged boy frowned slightly as the angry thunder roared again, "Where are you, Quatre?"  
  
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Hiiro sent a death glare out the window, as if the rain would cower in fear of him. Wu Fei stiffened slightly until the roll of thunder passed and the lightening flashed. "Baka a`r`ashi." He muttered.  
  
"Yeah. . ." Duo agreed, nervously chewing his bottom lip, "Stupid storm."  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	3. Chapter two

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Chapter two  
  
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"Have you seen Quatre?" The stoic banged boy asked the energetic braided one as the latter bounded past, a flashlight lighting his way.  
  
"Gomen ne. . . But Hiiro's looking for you." Duo said in a hushed, slightly out of breath voice. "Hey, if you see Wu Fei, You didn't see me -'kay?"  
  
"Depends," Trowa said evenly, "What did you do?"  
  
Duo feigned hurt, "Gimme a break! Why do you automatically assume I did something?" He flashed a grin.  
  
"Simple." Trowa almost allowed a smirk to escape the stoic mask he wore, "It's you."  
  
"That's not fair." Duo pouted. "Just because it's me, doesn't mean I did something."  
  
"True." Trowa agreed, "But it's more likely."  
  
"MAXWELL! WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU HIDING?" The irate Chinese boy's voice ranted from down the hall.  
  
The braided boy eeped, "Uh. . . I gotta go! If I see Quat, I'll be sure to tell him that you're looking for him! Uh." He looked around at the various doors in the hall. "Did you try the hanger? I noticed that he sometimes goes there during storms."  
  
"YOU KNOW I'M GOING TO FIND YOU!"  
  
"Ack! Gotta hide. gotta hide." Duo frantically looked around, "Trowa, please?"  
  
"The hanger, huh.?"  
  
The braided boy nodded, turning off his flashlight and hiding behind a large potted plant. "Tro. . . He's gonna find me here!"  
  
"My room, in the closet, there's a ladder leading to the attic, you can hide there."  
  
The braided boy bowed, "Arigato!" and he slipped into the banged boy's room just as Wu Fei rounded the corner.  
"Barton, Where's Maxwell?" Wu Fei demanded, shining his flashlight over by the potted plant that Duo had just fled from.  
  
Trowa shrugged, "Haven't seen him. Have you seen Quatre?"  
  
"Winner?" The Chinese boy forgot his quest for a moment to think about the question, "Not since he left the kitchen. Are you sure you haven't seen, Duo?"  
  
"What did he do this time?" Trowa asked avoiding the question.  
  
Wu Fei scowled, "I'd rather not talk about it."  
  
The taller boy shrugged, "Good luck finding him."  
  
"You DO know where he is!" Wu Fei accused. Trowa just stared at him. With a huff of frustration, the dark haired boy relented, "Fine, I'll tell you what he did. . ."  
  
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So many people were screaming. So many people were dying and there was nothing he could do. "Allah!" he sobbed out to his god, "Make it stop. . . just please make it stop!"  
  
A little girl.  
  
Quatre didn't want to know.  
  
Covered in blood.  
  
He didn't want to feel.  
  
Screaming for her mother.  
  
"NO MORE! Please!"  
  
As the building behind her blew.  
  
"ALLAH! NO!"  
  
And blew her away too.  
  
Quatre screamed, writhing in his own misery, trapped between reality and his nightmares. "SOMEONE HELP ME!"  
  
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Trowa checked the closet by the foyer. The Arabian's light blue raincoat still hung in its proper place. 'He wouldn't go out without a coat, would he?' Emerald eyes narrowed, "Yeah, he would." He told himself. Reaching in, he found his own dark green coat and a flashlight. After donning the coat, checking the batteries, and blowing out his candle, Trowa headed for the door.  
  
"Where are you going?" Hiiro's cold voice demanded.  
  
Trowa gave him a side glance, "To look for Quatre. He's missing."  
  
The Japanese boy raised an eyebrow, "He would leave the house?"  
  
"Duo thought that he might be in the hanger with Sandrock." He opened the door and stepped out into the onslaught of water.  
  
After a moment, Hiiro grabbed his own coat and flashlight and followed the taller boy.  
  
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A soldier, barely eighteen, red hair, blue eyes, medium build.  
  
He had been thrown from his Taurus when it exploded. He now lay frightened, alone and dying in the underbrush, a gapping hole in his abdomen. His innards were scattered around him on the grass. He was crying for his mother. He didn't want to die alone.  
  
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"No. . . No. . ." Quatre whimpered, "No. . ."  
  
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Trowa and Hiiro swept their flashlight around the hanger. "Someone's been here." Hiiro noted, gesturing towards the puddles of water.  
  
The banged boy stared at the puddles, then swept his eyes across the room again, "QUATRE. . ." He called out.  
  
"I'll check the cockpit." Hiiro said making the distance in a short jog and then climbing to where Sandrock's cockpit was. "It's empty." He called down.  
  
The banged boy frowned, "I know he's here. . . Somewhere. . ."  
  
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An old man cradled the limp form of his beloved wife. He had loved this woman with all of his heart for the past seventy-two years. He had cherished waking next to her every morning. His old heart was breaking more and more with each passing moment that she did not respond to his words. He wanted to join her.  
  
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A wave of hopeless grief washed over Quatre, and like the little girl and soldier, the sense of dying alone was ever present. He needed to get away. . . he couldn't handle this anymore. . . The sorrow. . . it was like he was drowning in it.  
  
"Someone, Help me!"  
  
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A whimper, ever so soft. He was sure of it, but where was it coming from? "QUATRE?"  
  
Hiiro frowned slightly at the taller boy, "Trowa, we're supposed to leave in half an hour." He said pointedly.  
  
The boy glared at the other through the curtain of reddish brown hair that covered half of his face, "I'm not going anywhere until we find him." He said evenly.  
  
"You would disobey orders? Jeopardize the mission?" Hiiro demanded, "He's not our concern."  
  
"He is my concern!" Trowa said coldly, even with a little anger.  
  
Hiiro blinked surprised by Trowa's out burst; and the Thunder echoed.  
  
"AAAHHH!"  
  
"QUATRE?" Trowa pushed past the Japanese boy and passed his light across Sandrock again.  
  
"What's that?" Hiiro stopped him and shined his light in between Heavyarms and Sandrock.  
  
Trowa ran closer to get a better look. It was a pale, almost white, arm. "Quatre!"  
  
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The small blond was curled in on himself, shivering with cold. He was in a tormented sleep, which left him straining for each breath.  
  
"Quatre?" Trowa called, kneeling next to the boy. "Quatre?"  
  
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The blonde moaned and began to convulse. "Help. . . me. . ." He chocked out.  
  
"Quatre, wake up." Trowa ordered, shaking the boy's shoulder, "Quatre."  
  
Thunder cracked, sounding directly over head. The blonde grit his teeth and groaned, tossing and turning. "Help. . . me. . ."  
  
The banged boy frowned and ran his hand through the smaller boy's bangs. He jolted away sharply when he came in contact with Quatre's forehead and the blonde shrieked. Even Hiiro stepped away from the boy. "Something is really wrong with him." Trowa told him.  
  
"I noticed." The Japanese boy glared. "We don't have time for this."  
  
Trowa glared at the stoic boy and then gathered the blonde into his arms, "I suggest you call a medic." He said, wrapping his coat around the trembling boy.  
  
"You know we can't do that!" Hiiro argued, "It'll compromise the mission."  
  
"Believe it or not, Hiiro, but there are some things that are more important then the mission." He turned and headed for the door, "Besides, with the mission you and I have been given; now would not be a good time to have one of us out of commission."  
  
"I'll call the medic, and Dr. J." Hiiro relented, Heading to his Gundam.  
  
"Do you have anybody in mind?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	4. Chapter three

Author's note: This hasn't been beta'd yet. If you find anything wrong, please email me and I'll fix it. Also, if you are interesting in beta'ing my stories, please email me.  
  
Lot's of thanks to all who review! They just make me want to write more!  
I have some big ideas for up coming chapters that I can hardly wait to  
write!  
The more reviews=more chapters faster!  
  
Arigato ^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter three  
  
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Lightening flashed as Trowa burst through the front door, with a bundled Quatre, limp in his arms.  
  
Wu Fei looked up with a start, "Barton?"  
  
"Open his bedroom door." The banged boy said, heading for the stairs.  
  
"Yeah. . ." Wu Fei frowned, bounding up the stairs, "What happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure." Trowa murmured, looking down at the pale face. "I think it has something to do with his nightmare." The banged boy paused, noticing the braided boy wasn't around, "Where's Duo?"  
  
Wu Fei smirked, opening the door, "Around."  
  
Trowa slipped past the Chinese boy. "He is still in one piece, right?"  
  
"Sure."  
  
Trowa glared at the Chinese boy as he passed him to get some clothes from the blonde's dresser.  
  
"He's in the closet." Wu Fei assured, "In one piece, though he will be a lot quieter for a while."  
  
"Hn." Trowa pulled out a pair of dark blue pajamas. "Can you get some towels from the bathroom? We need to get him warmed up."  
  
Shenlong's pilot left to do as he was asked, and Trowa set out on undressing the feverish boy.  
  
"Here." Wu Fei said throwing a towel around the taller boy's shoulders, "You're even more soaked than he is. I'll take care of Winner, you go take care of yourself."  
  
Trowa looked as if he would argue for a moment before turning and leaving Quatre's room and going next door to his own.  
  
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The small blonde cringed and cried out as if he had been burned each time Wu Fei touched him. It was a real battle to get the smaller boy dried off and dressed. By the time he had finished, Quatre was left whimpering as tears streaked down his cheeks. He tossed and turned in his tormented sleep. The Chinese boy tucked him under warm covers and placed a cool cloth on his head before stepping away, and Trowa reentered the room.  
  
"What the hell is going on here?"  
  
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Ex-Alliance lt. Sally Po lay on her back, staring at the ceiling, in her prison cell despite the raging storm out side. She had been captured a few days after the dark haired Gundam pilot, Chang, Wu Fei, had left her company, several weeks ago.  
  
A small smile crossed her face as she thought about the depressed teenager. She had heard on the news that Gundam 05 was seen reeking havoc in a nearby city. Sally took that as a sign that Wu Fei had put what was bothering him to rest, and had found the will to fight again.  
  
The sounds of struggle in the corridor caught her attention and she sat up, just as her cell door was blown away. When the smoke and dust had cleared away, Sally turned to see who was crazy enough to break into an OZ high security prison.  
  
In the door way stood a lanky teenage boy, wearing a green tank top and black spandex. He had a gun pointed at her. "Sally Po."  
  
"Hiiro." She blinked in surprise, "I must say, you are the last person I ever expected to see again. What do you want?"  
  
"I need your help as a physician." Hiiro said, glaring.  
  
"Anything I can do to help, I will." She stood slowly. "What's the problem?"  
  
"Pilot 04 is sick and needs a doctor." He replied.  
  
Sally nodded, "I'll need a medical bag, unless you have supplies?"  
  
"We have supplies, and what ever you don't have, we'll get." Hiiro said.  
  
"We?" She raised her eyebrow slightly, "Is Wu Fei with you?"  
  
Hiiro's eyes widened in slight surprise before his stoic mask returned, "Yes, he is."  
  
Sally smiled, "Shall we go then?"  
  
The Japanese boy tossed her a handgun, "I have an aircraft hidden two miles from here, think you can make it without being shot?"  
  
"If you can without self-destructing." She grinned. Hiiro snorted and motioned her to follow him.  
  
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Half an hour and fifty dead guards later, Hiiro and Sally were in the air, flying towards their destination. Hiiro had the doctor put on a blind fold as he didn't completely trust her.  
  
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"I don't understand. . ." Wu Fei frowned, from his backwards position on a nearby chair. "It's like every time he's touched, skin to skin, it causes him agony."  
  
"It must be his Uchuu no Kokoro." Trowa said thoughtfully, lightly brushing the blonde's bangs from his face. The boy whimpered, turning away from the touch.  
  
"His what?" Wu Fei asked.  
  
Trowa looked up at the Chinese boy, "His Space Heart. . . It's what he calls his empathic sense." He turned back to the sleeping boy. "He told me about it when I stayed with him for a few days after a mission, several months ago. He has the power to feel what others feel. When Hiiro self- destructed, it nearly overwhelmed Quatre when he began to feel the emotions from the OZ officials, us Gundam pilots and Hiiro's own pain."  
  
"Interesting." Wu Fei muttered.  
  
"I think that's why he has such awful nightmares night after night. He picks them up from everyone around him." Trowa sighed slightly, "He might even be projecting them into others."  
  
"What do you mean?" Wu Fei demanded.  
  
"Why were you up so early?"  
  
"I couldn't sleep." The Chinese boy didn't appreciate personal questions and it made him irritable.  
  
"But why?"  
  
"I had a nightmare."  
  
"So did I, and so did he." Trowa gestured towards the blonde, "And I bet, if we asked them, so did Hiiro and Duo. Now what was yours about?"  
  
"Sandrock blowing up. . ." The dark haired boy started.  
  
"Because Quatre froze during battle." The banged boy finished.  
  
Wu Fei blinked in surprise. "That's right. . ."  
  
"I had the same dream, as did Quatre. I also bet that part of the reason you couldn't sleep had to do with the thunder."  
  
Wu Fei no longer cared whether or not the questions were getting personal. This was the most he had ever heard Trowa speak and he was finding it quite interesting. "Thunder has always bothered me, it reminds me of battles." He admitted, "But last night was the first time in my life that I've lost sleep because of it."  
  
Trowa nodded, "Me too, and I bet it's the same with the others."  
  
"Are you saying that he's responsible for our lack of sleep?" Wu Fei demanded skeptically.  
  
Trowa shrugged, "It's just a theory. I won't know for sure until Quatre wakes up."  
  
"How do you know all of this?"  
  
Trowa glanced briefly at the Chinese boy and then to the sleeping boy who had began to toss and turn, moaning and pleading. "I just do."  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	5. Chapter four

Author's note: I'm glad everyone seems to like this story so far. Thanks to everyone who reviews! I've got the next chapter almost done as well, so that will be up soon. ^-^  
  
I'm still looking for a beta, so if you're interested, please email me and let me know! I get nervous when I post something that hasn't been beta'd  
yet. I worry that it's not my best work.  
  
Arigato,  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter four  
  
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"It looks like this storm is passing." Sally said as the mid-morning sun tried to break through the dark clouds.  
  
"There's another storm front heading this way." Hiiro said, typing in a security code, before unlocking the front door. "It should hit later this afternoon."  
  
Sally sighed as she walked into the darkened house, "That's too bad."  
  
Hiiro reached over and tried the lights, "Power's still out." He frowned.  
  
"Then how does the security system work?"  
  
The Japanese boy looked at her for a moment before answering, "Independent system with back up generators."  
  
"Oh." Sally murmured, slightly impressed.  
  
"Come on," The stoic boy said directing her towards the stairs, "O4's in his room."  
  
"Do you really refer to yourselves as numbers, or is that because I'm here?"  
  
"If they want you to know their names, they can tell you."  
  
Sally raised an eyebrow. "They? Just how many are there of you here?"  
  
Hiiro didn't answer for a moment, "We're all here, at the moment." He said slowly, pausing in front of Quatre's closed door.  
  
"I'm placing a certain amount of trust in you, Sally." He warned, "Don't make me regret it."  
  
"Hiiro, I admire you for what you are attempting to do. I am honored that you feel you could ask me for help, I just wish I could do more for you all." The woman replied, "I wouldn't betray your confidences."  
  
Seemingly satisfied with her response, the Japanese boy gently rasped on the door. Moments later, it opened and a Chinese boy peered out, "Hiiro!" He addressed, some what surprised, "You got the doctor then?"  
  
Hiiro nodded, pushing his way past Wu Fei, "How is he?"  
  
"Not good." The dark haired boy said shaking his head.  
  
"Well, I'll do my best to make him better."  
  
Wu Fei's head whipped up, his ebony eyes wide with recognition, "S. . .Sally!?"  
  
"Hello, Wu Fei."  
  
"Wh. . .What are you doing here?"  
  
"Hopefully, to help your comrade." She said, a hint of a smile twitching at the corners of her mouth.  
  
As she approached where the thin blonde boy lay in fevered sleep, Trowa eyed her suspiciously. "Hiiro, this is the physician?" Hiiro nodded. "And how do you know she can be trusted?"  
  
"She's helped me before." Hiiro and Wu Fei said simultaneously.  
  
"She's on our side." Wu Fei vouched, "Believe me."  
  
The banged boy glared her, "Fine." He granted, stepping aside and giving her access to the sleeping Arabian.  
  
"So tell me what his symptoms are. . ." Sally prompted, gently examining him under the lamp that Wu Fei held for her, as Trowa listed the blonde's ailments.  
  
After several moments, Sally frowned slightly. Trowa, who had been keenly watching her every move noticed, "What's wrong?" He demanded.  
  
"Well," She sighed, "I'm pretty positive that he has the beginnings of pneumonia, however, the reactions to touch are very unusual." She looked at the banged boy, "I don't know what to think about that."  
  
"Don't worry about that." Trowa ordered, "Can you make him better?"  
  
"I can give him some meds, and that should help. Honestly though, whether or not he gets better is up to him." Sally dug through the med kit that Hiiro had supplied, frowning when she did not find what she sought, "I need this drug." She said scribbling on a piece of paper, "It'll bring down his fever and prevent the illness from worsening." Sally handed the paper to the teenager, "You can get it from any drug store."  
  
Trowa nodded, "How long until there is some improvement?"  
  
"Depends." Sally replied standing and stretching slightly, "On how fast you get the medicine and how diligent you are about giving it to him."  
  
Trowa nodded accepting the paper, "Wu Fei," He addressed to the boy that stood against the wall in the shadows cast by the burning candles, "Is 02 still. . . occupied?" The dark haired boy smirked and nodded. "Would you have him fill this order?" He held out the slip of paper.  
  
Wu Fei frowned, "Why don't you do it? 04 isn't going anywhere and Sally won't do anything to him."  
  
Trowa glared at the Chinese boy, "I don't plan on leaving this room until he wakes up." He said, a note of vehemence in his voice, "Now will you please ask 02 to retrieve this?"  
  
The dark haired boy growled low in his throat as he snatched the paper away from the taller boy. "Fine." He snapped, storming out of the room and closing the door hard.  
  
Sally raised an eyebrow, "Is he okay?" she asked, genuinely concerned.  
  
"He's fine." Trowa said turning his attention to back to the sleeping boy.  
  
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Wu Fei took a deep breath, preparing himself to face his annoying captive. Slowly, he pulled out a key from his pocket and unlocked the closet door. Holding his candle up, he could make out the slumped and slightly defeated form of a tied and gagged Duo Maxwell.  
  
Groggily, the braided boy looked up into the smug face hovering above him. His teeth gnawed at the gag as he began to scream and yell, muffled and non- understandably, at the Chinese boy, "-amn-uh-uh-eh!" Duo glared, trying to lunge at him. "-ul-ay-or-is!"  
  
"Still fighting, Maxwell?" Wu Fei said patronizingly, "I thought after six hours, you might have become more docile."  
  
"-ite-e!"  
  
"If it were up to me, I'd leave you in there." Wu Fei said shrugging, "But as it turns out, Quatre's sick and Trowa wants you to fetch his medicine."  
  
At the mention of his friend's poor health, Duo instantly calmed, "-ith-e- oie?"  
  
"Sally thinks it might be pneumonia." Wu Fei frowned.  
  
"-un-i-e." Duo demanded.  
  
"Are you going to be civil?" Wu Fei ordered. Duo glared at him, before nodding curtly. With a hesitant sigh, the dark haired boy preceded to untie the braided boy. "Just to let you know, the only two Sally knows by name are me and Hiiro. The rest of you are being referred to by OZ's report designations.  
  
"Great." Duo muttered, taking the prescription from the shorter boy, "I've been reduced to a number." He paused, "Sally that chick from New Edwards?" The Chinese boy nodded slightly. "Huh." The braided boy pondered over things in his head.  
  
"I suggest you hurry." Wu Fei said, throwing him a rain coat, "Trowa's 'bout ready to pitch a fit if Quatre doesn't start making an improvement."  
  
Duo raised an eyebrow, "Really?" He asked. Wu Fei nodded. "That's interesting." He pondered that, a sly grin spreading across his face, "That's very good to know! Thanks Wu-man!" He said ducking out the door.  
  
The braided boy grinned, quite please with himself, as the ranting protest of "MAXWELL!" could be heard from outside and halfway to the garage where the cars were being stored. No matter how many times Wu Fei and he butted heads, no matter what kind of 'justice' Wu Fei unleashed upon him, Duo always got the last laugh, and it usually took nothing more than to call the Chinese boy by the hated nickname.  
  
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The next two weeks were hard.  
  
Quatre drifted in and out of consciousness. He seemed to frequent nightmares of disturbing content, more often then previously. The blonde boy appeared weak, and tired. He had developed a severe cough along with the fever. However, under Trowa and Sally's constant vigil, he began to make rapid improvement, though the dreams continued to plagued him no matter what they attempted.  
  
Wu Fei was beginning to believe Trowa's theory about the blonde's Uchuu no Kokoro, and Quatre passing it on to others; as his own dreams seemed to mirror everyone else's to the point he was about to screw security and go to a hotel for a decent night sleep. He spent his time, trying to catch naps, meditating, practicing his martial arts and getting to know Sally better.  
  
Sally had no where else to go, seeing how she really didn't want to return to the OZ prison. Besides, as long as Quatre was sick, Trowa wanted her to be on hand, so she stayed in one of the extra bedrooms down the hall. Hiiro and Wu Fei were already acquainted with her, and awarded her with a small degree of trust. The other three quickly came to share that trust, first by sharing their names, and then by allowing her to stay with minimum protesting.  
  
Hiiro contacted Dr. J. on the hindrance to the mission he and Trowa were supposed to go on. After receiving further orders, the Japanese boy also emailed, Instructor H, Quatre's supervisor. Hiiro then spent his free time finishing the repairs on Wing Gundam. Soon the machine was in the perfect working order that it was, before he fought with OZ's Colonel Zechs, in Antarctica.  
  
Trowa spent most of his time by the blonde's side, engaging in quiet conversation, or in his own room, sleeping. No mater what, though, he was never very far from the small Arabian, his eyes ever watching for any and all threats.  
  
Duo. Duo was having the worst two weeks of his life. He was still pretty ripped about being locked in the closet for six hours. He kept his distance from the irate Chinese boy, all the while scheming the perfect prank for revenge. So far, what he had planned involved Shenlong, and a lot of toilet paper, and that, he found to be pretty lame. He spent most of his week shut in his room, pacing, trying to come up with something worthy of Shinigami.  
  
At least, that's what they did until new orders arrived. When five laptops beeped simultaneously, each of the pilots dreaded what was to come.  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	6. Chapter five

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Chapter five  
  
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"You should be resting." Trowa said, leaning against the doorframe.  
  
Quatre looked up from his packing, startled, "Trowa! I didn't hear you coming." He stared at the taller boy for a moment before he turned back to his duffle bag, his face slightly flush.  
  
"What are you doing?" Trowa frowned, stepping closer and surveying the room. It looked as if it had been ransacked. Clothes and books were thrown all over the place. It was very unusual behavior for the boy that liked to have everything in its proper place.  
  
"Packing." The blonde answered quietly, a note of sadness in his voice.  
  
"I can see that, but why?" The banged boy asked. The smaller boy didn't answer. Instead he just grabbed more clothes and almost angrily shoved them into the bag. "Quatre," Trowa addressed, his hand grabbing the blonde's arm, "What's wrong?"  
  
Quatre refused to look at the taller boy, "In light of my 'episode', I've been called back to L4 for testing until further notice." His entire body trembled with emotions that the smaller boy was refusing to show.  
  
If Quatre had been looking at Trowa, the blonde would have seen a rare expression of shock and devastation cross the stoic boy's face before the mask and training kicked back in. "I see." The banged boy replied flatly. "When do you leave?"  
  
The blonde cringed inwardly at the tone of Trowa's voice, "First thing in the morning." He answered, trying to keep his voice steady. "I'm to take Sandrock to the Singapore Spaceport base and steal an OZ shuttle."  
  
"Alone?" Trowa frowned. "But the base will be heavily guarded."  
  
Quatre shook his head, still avoiding the taller boy's face. "Duo's to accompany me to the base and take a shuttle back to his own colony, as is Wu Fei."  
  
"They're calling all of you back. . ." Trowa murmured.  
  
Quatre shook his head slowly. "Not Hiiro and. . . not you."  
  
Trowa sat down on the Quatre's bed, pulling the blonde down next to him. "You don't want to go?" He asked gently.  
  
"I want to stay." The smaller boy whispered, his watering eyes focused on the floor.  
  
Trowa shook his head, "Quatre, you're being taken away from the war, away from the people in pain. You'll finally have some peace. Isn't that what you want?" Slowly the boy nodded, his tears breaking past his will. "I don't understand, Quatre. . . Why would you ever want to stay here?"  
  
"I. . .I want. . ."The blonde's face was becoming red with embarrassment.  
  
"Quatre?" Trowa prompted, "You can tell me anything. You know that, right?"  
  
Slowly the boy nodded, swallowing a lump that had formed in his throat, "Hai, I know that, Trowa. . . It's just; the words aren't easy to say."  
  
The banged boy blinked, 'What on earth could it be?' He wondered, 'Quatre and Duo are the most talkative out of the five of us. . . He always knows what to say, and how to say it.'  
  
"Gomen ne, Trowa. . ." the blonde apologized, breaking into the taller boy's thoughts, "It's nothing. . ."  
  
"Quatre, it is something." He disagreed.  
  
Finally, the blonde met his gaze, "Nandemoni." He whispered, "Jiisu ni."  
  
Trowa watched him as he stood, zipped up his Duffle and headed towards the door. "It's going to take time to get Sandrock ready, I . . . I probably won't see you again, before I leave. . ." He whispered, "S. . . Sayonara, Trowa. . ."  
  
"Quatre, matte. . .!" Trowa called, rushing after him; but when he got to the hall, the only person he saw was a very annoyed Hiiro, approaching him. "Did you see where Quatre went?"  
  
The stoic boy shook his head, "Trowa, you realize that our mission wasn't aborted, it was just postponed?" The banged boy nodded. "If you become distracted, the mission will fail."  
  
"Hiiro." Trowa said curtly, "You were the one that told me, 'The only way to live a good life was to follow your emotions'. I know I have a mission, and I won't let it fail, you have my word; but my emotions are telling me that I need to protect Quatre. . .I . . . I want to protect him."  
  
The Japanese boy studied the banged boy intently for several minutes before finally speaking, "He is a soldier too." He pointed out. "He is fully trained and can take care of himself."  
  
"I realize that." Trowa sighed slightly, "But that's what I feel."  
  
Hiiro shook his head slowly, his dark hair falling in his eyes, "I suggest you don't allow them to find out about this." He advised, "They're liable to order his assassination as to eliminate any further hindrances or distractions."  
  
Trowa's look became very dangerous, as he snorted, "They can try."  
  
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"I'm so stupid!" The blonde muttered, from inside Sandrock's cockpit. He smacked himself in the head, "I can't believe it!"  
  
"Oi, Quat!" Duo called from Deathscythe's cockpit, "What's up with you? You've been swearing and putting yourself down for the last half hour. It's getting difficult to concentrate on repairs." Quatre didn't answer until, Duo's head popped into his view. "Did something happen with Trowa?"  
  
To his eternal humiliation, the smaller boy felt his face turn a deep red as he tried to deny his friend's question. "Ii. . .Iie. . . I just. . .I mean. . .I. . ."  
  
The braided boy chuckled slightly at his embarrassment, "You really should tell him."  
  
"I couldn't!" Quatre looked up sharply, horror written plainly on his face, "He'd hate me! I don't want to lose what friendship I have!"  
  
"Easy Quatre." Duo said grinning, "Did you ever stop to think that maybe he feels the same way?" The blonde looked down and shook his head slowly. "You can sense things, have you ever thought to sense his emotions?"  
  
"He keeps his emotions bottled up, almost as well as Hiiro." Quatre whispered, "I can't read them."  
  
"Then I suggest you talk it over with him." The braided boy said plopping himself down on Sandrock's open hatch door, sitting cross-legged. Quatre climbed out of the cockpit and joined him, his feet hanging over the edge. "Preferably before we leave?"  
  
"I can't." He argued, "I just can't, Duo."  
  
"Why?" he demanded, "Why is this so hard for you Quat?" The blonde shrugged slightly, "Well I think it's stupid." Quatre winced under the unusual harshness of the braided boy's tone. "If you don't, I think you'll end up regretting it."  
  
"And what about you?" The blonde asked, trying to change the subject, "Are you ever going to tell Hiiro?" It was Duo's turn to go beet red with embarrassment, "That's not fair, Quat!" He protested. "Hiiro is nothing like Trowa!"  
  
"Not really." Quatre disagreed, "They both keep to themselves."  
  
"But at least Trowa can show compassion!" Duo insisted, "Hiiro wouldn't do anything, cause it might interfere with his mission!"  
  
Quatre pondered what the braided boy was saying. "Maybe. . ." He whispered as the hanger doors creaked open, startling both boys.  
  
"Are you two almost ready to leave?" Wu Fei called up to them.  
  
"Hai!" they called down in unison. The Chinese boy stared up at them for a moment before heading back towards the house.  
  
"Are we really heading back to the colonies?" Duo asked in a subdued manner.  
  
Quatre looked at his friend, "I suppose so." He said quietly, "Don't you want to?"  
  
The braided boy heaved a sigh, a grin quirking at the side of his mouth, "Yeah. I do." He replied, "But I'm not so sure we'll be welcomed back."  
  
"I know what you mean." The blonde said, "My family was furious when I left to fight, I'm not sure my father will be very forgiving."  
  
"Eh. . ." Duo shrugged, standing and stretching, "Or they might welcome you back with open arms." He looked around the huge hanger and at each of the five Gundams before turning back to the smaller boy, "Hey, you want to get a burger before we leave earth?"  
  
"I'm not very hungry." Quatre said with a small smile.  
  
"Are you alright?" The braided boy asked, offering his friend a hand to his feet.  
  
"Yeah, I'm just a little tired, that's all." The blonde shrugged and turned back to the cockpit, besides, I have a few more adjustments to make before Sandrock will be space worthy."  
  
"Okay, Quat." Duo flashed one of his carefree grins, "I can bring you back something if you want."  
  
"Arigato, Duo." He smiled, "That'd be great."  
  
The braided boy shrugged and quickly descended from the Gundam, "I'll see ya later then!" He called up to the boy, making a quick jog towards Wu Fei's motorcycle.  
"Uh, Duo!" Quatre called when he realized what the braided boy was about to do, "I don't think that's a good idea! Wu Fei is still mad about the last prank you pulled!"  
  
The braided boy waved carefree towards the worried boy, "Don't worry, Quat!" He replied, "It's not like he can lock me in the closet again."  
  
"Still. . . I wouldn't tempt him." Quatre said quietly as Duo revved up the bike and disappeared from view.  
  
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Trowa silently watched the boy as he turned and headed back into the cockpit of his Gundam, from his place in the shadows. What Hiiro had said earlier about them putting a hit on the small blonde disturbed him to no end. He had no doubt that if he were to fail in his mission, and they found out that Quatre was the reason, they wouldn't hesitate to eliminate him. They were that cold and heartless.  
  
His mission. . .  
  
Trowa heaved a deep sigh.  
  
The banged boy was not looking forward to this mission. It was risky, and would probably fail even if a certain Arabian didn't constantly occupy his thoughts. It was long term, which meant, he had no idea how long it would last. It could easily be anywhere between a week, a month, or even a year; and during that time, he'd have no contact with the other pilots, except maybe Hiiro. He'd be alone and behind enemy lines.  
  
No, Trowa was not looking forward to this one bit.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
Author's notes: The next chapter is underway, though it may take longer to  
finish. I'll have it posted as soon as I can.  
^-^  
  
Arigato!!  
Weissangel24 


	7. Chapter six

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Chapter six  
  
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Wu Fei gawked at his bike. His mouth hung open in a mix of horror and disbelief. "My bike . . . my beautiful bike!" He repeated mournfully. The once perfect motorcycle was leaned up against the foot of Shenlong. It was no longer the perfect chrome black. It was no longer the perfect non-dented frame. Instead it was painted neon hot pink with bright yellow happy faces on it. From the handle bars hung flashy green streamers and a paperboy's bicycle bell. Balloons of all colors were tied to the seat. And the tires were now spray painted in alternating red and white stripes. "My bike!" He wailed pitifully, "Who. . . MAXWELL!" He snarled with realization. "MAXWELL!!! YOU"LL PAY FOR THIS!!"  
  
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"OH, hey Wu Fei. . ." Duo grinned nervously as the Chinese boy advanced towards him with his katana ready to slice and dice some Shinigami. "I think it looks good. It needed some color. . ." The braided boy ducked as Wu Fei took a wild swing.  
  
"HOW DARE YOU!!" The dark haired boy accused, "My bike - MY BIKE!"  
  
"Well you deserved it!" Duo insisted, "For locking me in the closet for six hours!"  
  
"THAT NEVER WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF YOU HADN'T PUT JALAPENEO'S IN MY COFFEE AT FIVE IN THE MORNING!!!"  
  
Duo flashed a grin, "You said you couldn't wake up . . . I was just trying to help you. . ."  
  
"YOU ARE SO FULL OF IT!!!" Wu Fei swung again.  
  
"IT WAS A JOKE, WU FEI, A JOKE!!" Duo pleaded, "IT'LL WASH RIGHT OFF!!!"  
  
"YEEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAA!!" The Chinese boy began to lunge again, but Sally stepped in between him and the braided boy from out of no where. With a cry of surprise, and fury, Wu Fei abruptly ceased his attack, "BAKA ONNA!" He yelled, "WHAT THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?"  
  
"That's enough, Wu Fei." Hiiro's voice said evenly. "You have a mission and Duo is needed for its success."  
  
Warily, and a bit grumpily, the Shenlong pilot heeded the order and sheathed his sword. He spun on his heal and headed towards the hanger, pausing for a brief moment in front of the braided boy. "This is not over yet." He warned.  
  
Duo smirked, "Bring it." He dared. The two pilots exchanged glares before heading on their separate ways.  
  
"That was interesting." Sally commented.  
  
"It's just the way they are." Hiiro shrugged, "Though that was a pretty stupid thing to do, Sally."  
  
The woman smiled, "Not really. I knew he had enough skill to stop it."  
  
"But he might not have had the frame of mind." The stoic boy pointed out.  
  
"It would hurt his integrity if he allowed his anger to best him and make him lose control." Sally replied, before leaving the Japanese boy for her own room.  
  
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Two hours later, Duo, Wu Fei and Quatre headed out on their Gundams for the Singapore Space Base, and into one of the hardest battles of their young  
lives.  
  
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The blonde pilot grit his teeth as Sandrock took heavy damage. 'There are so many more than we estimated. . .' He thought, 'Is it possible they knew we'd be attacking?'  
  
"This newest OZ base isn't anything like their others!" Duo said anxiously over the radio, "I can't get any closer at this rate!"  
  
"Let's go for the HLV equipped for Mobil suit delivery." Quatre replied, firing on a squad of enemy Taurus suits. Once they were dealt with, he kept his heat shotels poised against a group of Leos to his left, preparing himself to charge forward. Gunfire at the Sandrock's right shoulder caught him completely by surprise. "Uh-ah! AAAAAAAAAHHHHH!" Sandrock's pilot screamed as the desert Gundam was thrown back, rolling across the ground.  
  
"QUATRE!" Duo called, Deathscythe's energy scythe cutting through an Aries that was about to destroy Sandrock and then using the butt of his scythe to smash the sensors off another Leo.  
  
"Uh. . ." The blonde groaned.  
  
"Don't overdue it, Quatre!" Duo warned.  
  
"It's okay." The smaller boy reassured, "We have to keep fighting so we can all return home." He grimaced as the firing caused more damage.  
  
Shenlong raced, energy spear ready, into the masses of Taurus's. With a warrior's cry he attacked with a vengeance. "YOU WILL NOT DEFEAT NATAKU!"  
  
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On a colony, Leaders and Delegates watched the Gundams fight on their view screen. Many arguments broke out between the older members and their younger, more foolish representatives.  
  
"So they are the Gundams, eh?" a young diplomat commented, "They are attacking OZ's base on earth."  
  
"It's true that the Alliance militaries oppressed the colonies, Brian." A slightly older man said, "And that OZ was once part of the Alliance. I can understand certain colonies feeling's in wanting to retaliate against the earth."  
  
"Yes." Brian shook his head, pushing his glasses up his nose, "But even as we speak, our peace ways are finally changing opinions with in the OZ organization. We can't continue a display of needless destruction."  
  
Mr. Takinaka sighed, shaking his head in disappointment, "Those Gundams are fighting because they truly believe that they are protecting the colonies by doing so."  
  
"So?" Brian asked smugly. "They're only nuisances to the colony now. We must make our intentions clear to OZ before the Gundams make them uneasy."  
  
"The Gundams love the colonies. The Gundams have chosen to fight because they love the colonies more then anyone else. Those Gundams. . . They're desperate." They are facing their enemies with limited power." The old man slammed his fists onto the desk in frustration, "So why can't we support these Gundams?"  
  
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Duo groaned as he was tossed about violently as his Gundam took damage, "Damn it!" He swore. Quatre's own cries echoed over the radio as the desert Gundam landed and skidded by him. "Quatre, You alright?"  
  
The blonde groaned, not wanting to move. "This was a mistake, Duo. . ."the boy whispered, wiping blood from his face, "We're not ready to go back to space. . ."  
  
"Are you just giving up?" Wu Fei's sharp voice demanded. "What about the colonies? They need us to fight for them!"  
  
"The enemy has gone into space so as soldiers, we must go where the fight is." Duo agreed, pushing Deathscythe to its feet, "I'm not going to be defeated here and now."  
  
"Duo. . . Wu Fei. . ." Quatre's quiet voice murmured. Slowly, and surely, Sandrock shifted and strained to get back to its feet. "You're both right. . ."  
  
"That's it, Quat." Duo grinned, "We'll defeat this trash yet!" The braided boy launched an attack at the Tarsus. "I'LL SEE YOU IN HEEEELLLLLLL!"  
  
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On the colony, Brian was preparing to make a statement to the press. A statement that would be broadcasted to all of the Earth Sphere and each of the colonies. By making his statement, he hoped for everyone to see things his way.  
  
"Ladies, and Gentlemen, Soldiers of OZ. I stand here before you to make a declaration. . ." ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
The battle at the Singapore Space Base seemed to come to a halt as a broadcast from space interrupted communication frequencies, forcing everyone to listen.  
  
// . . .declaration against the Gundams. They are at the moment attacking an OZ base. We wish to state that we do not support these rash actions that are a result of a few people. In fact, the majorities of the colonies wish for a chance at peace. OZ is giving us that chance and we wish to take it. We denounce all weapons, including the Gundams. We want them to be captured and stopped. That way, the peace we have will not be in jeopardy.//  
  
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Duo just stared at his monitors. Stunned. "They. . .They can't be serious!" He sputtered.  
  
"Don't they know that OZ is unjust? Don't they know that OZ has no honor?" Wu Fei shook his head.  
  
Quatre didn't respond. He couldn't. The hurt of betrayal was deep. "So now what?" he whispered to himself, "Do we continue to fight?"  
  
"Yes." Hiiro's voice cut in over the radio, his image popped up on screen.  
  
"Hiiro?" Quatre shook his head, "We can't. . ."  
  
The Japanese boy glared at the blonde, "Quatre, we're not wrong about this. OZ is evil. Sooner or later, the colonies will come to realize this for themselves."  
  
"We all knew when we set out that we'd be alone in this." Wu Fei's voice said.  
  
"I'm not giving up, even though I know it will be tough to continue on." Duo said seriously. "What about you, Quat? Are you with us?"  
  
"Of course." The blonde responded, Sandrock coming back to life. The battle resuming.  
  
"I'm sending Trowa to help you." Hiiro said, "His ETA is 15 min. Try and last that long."  
  
"We will, Hiiro." Quatre promised; a new determination in his eyes. 'Trowa. . . he's coming here. . .' a small smile crossed his face.  
  
"What about you, Hiiro?" Duo asked, hopefully.  
  
The Japanese boy shook his head slightly, "I have objectives I must complete before I can return to space."  
  
Duo's expression fell slightly, "Okay, Hiiro."  
  
"Duo. . ." The violet eyes looked up at the Dark haired boy's image. Hiiro suddenly looked very uncomfortable.  
  
"Hiiro?"  
  
"Take care." Hiiro said in his cold stoic voice before abruptly cutting off the transmission.  
  
Duo blinked, slightly surprised. Hiiro had never shown the least bit of concern for anyone, let alone him, before. "Hiiro. . ." he murmured.  
  
"MAXWELL! WATCH OUT!" Wu Fei called, Shenlong's dragon claw tearing through a mobile suit.  
  
The braided boy snapped out of his thoughts and with a roar of anger, proceeded to make sushi out of the next ten Leo's.  
  
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Quatre couldn't move. He couldn't breath. The pain in his chest was unbearable, and he felt dangerously close to passing out. "You're afraid of dying. . ." He whispered, gasping for air. "You hate so much. . . yet you're afraid to die. . ."  
  
Sandrock's cockpit was beginning to feel cramped, as his Space Heart picked up another set of emotions. These were also filled with hatred and fear, but there was something sadistic and frightening about them. This person seemed intent on making the kill. His target was Quatre. "Oh. oh, Allah. . ."  
  
"Oi, Quatre!" Duo's voice called across the radio, along with a burst of static as he slashed the Taurus that had been closing in on his fallen comrade. "Are you okay?"  
  
He couldn't answer. It felt as if his voice was trapped along with his breath in his throat. The blonde hunched over, as far as the straps would permit. 'This has never been this bad! Not when I've been awake!' His thoughts raced, as his sense picked up another person. This one was in immense pain, and was probably in the process of dieing. They were alone, scared, and they grieved for the people they were leaving behind. This new sensation tore at Quatre's heart.  
  
"OI! QUATRE!!!" Duo's voice called urgently, "SNAP OUT OF IT, QUAT!"  
  
"I. . .I can't. . ." He cried softly, "Someone. . .help me. . ."  
  
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He was trapped. No where to retreat to, and no ammunition left to fight with. "Well, I guess the only option left for me is to self detonate." The OZ soldier said hopelessly, preparing for the final act of his life.  
  
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A blank look crossed Quatre's face. His eyes became empty, as if hypnotized. "I guess the only option left open for me is to self detonate. . ." He said exactly as the OZ pilot. As if in a daze, his hand searching for the button.  
  
"NANI!" Duo's voice cried over the radio. "QUATRE! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?"  
  
"Are you insane?" Wu Fei's angry voice demanded.  
  
"I have no choice. . ." The blonde said.  
  
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"QUATRE!" Deathscythe was blown back as an OZ Aries self detonated. "QUATREEE!!!"  
  
"DUO!" a new voice called out to the braided pilot, "What's the matter?"  
  
Deathscythe's head turned and the Gundam Heavyarms appeared on his view screen. "Trowa?" He questioned, "TROWA!" He exclaimed, "TROWA, Quatre's gonna self-destruct!"  
  
"NANI!?" The banged boy's horrified face blipped onto the screen, "WHY?"  
  
"I don't know. . ." Duo frowned, worried, "Trowa, you've got to stop him! He won't listen to me!"  
  
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Trowa didn't know what to do. He just had to get to Quatre and stop him. "QUATRE!" He said sharply, drawing up an image of the blonde. The boy was unresponsive. His expression was dead. "Quatre. . ." He shook his head in disbelief, "What's the matter with you? Quatre!"  
  
Slowly, clarity entered the boy's eyes as he seemed to become aware of where he was. Shaking his head, and rubbing his eyes, Quatre groaned. "T. . .Trowa?" He asked confused, as his cockpit began to radiate with a red warning light. "TROWA!" He cried frightened, "What's going on?"  
  
"You have to stop the self destruct sequence, Quatre! Sandrock is about to explode!"  
  
"WHAT!?" The smaller boy cried, looking around for an abort button, "HOW?"  
"I don't know, Quatre." The banged boy grit his teeth in fear of what was about to happen.  
  
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Quatre looked frantically around the cockpit for a way to stop the self destruct, "I. . .I don't see anything. . ." He winced as he felt a twinge of fear and horror coming from his comrades, "Allah. . . what should I do?"  
  
As if answering the question, Sandrock's cockpit hatch slowly opened as its shielded arm rose to protect the entrance from enemy fire.  
  
The blonde boy looked up at the Gundam, "Are you telling me to escape?" He asked quietly, tears in his eyes, "Thank you, Sandrock!"  
  
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Sandrock had started to move towards the enemy mobile suits, in the heavy weighty way of the massive machines. It's warning sirens blared through the humid night air.  
  
"Quatre. . ." Trowa muttered under his breath. His link to the other Gundam had been severed and now all the banged boy saw was static. "N. . .No. . ."  
  
"HE MADE IT!" Duo's happy voice yelled over the radio.  
  
Trowa's head whipped up and he desperately searched all of his monitors, "Where. . ?"  
  
And then he saw him.  
  
The little blonde was descending the Gundam's height by the wire elevator. He fell to the ground and rolled slightly before staggering to his feet. The pilot took one last look at his beloved Gundam as he turned and fled. Trowa's monitors barely picked up the faint, "Thank you, my dear Sandrock. . ." as tears cascaded down the smaller boy's face.  
  
The banged boy heaved a sigh of relief. He heard an echoed one from Deathscythe's pilot. 'He's safe.' Trowa told himself. 'He'll be alright.'  
  
Moments later, the Desert Gundam was destroyed in a raging ball of fire, taking three enemy suits with it. All the pilots watched in a mix of silent horror and fascination.  
  
"Oi, Trowa!" Duo called, "Wu Fei has a space transport ready for you if you need it."  
  
"Arigato, Duo." Trowa nodded, slightly. He set in an automatic flight plan into his navo-computer before exiting his Gundam. When it arrived at the safe house, Hiiro would hide it for him. Heavyarms would guarantee the failure of his mission if he took it to space.  
  
Hurriedly he dashed to the waiting space capsule that was prepared for take off. He was a little surprised to see Quatre standing near it. "Quatre?"  
  
The smaller boy looked up, "Trowa. . ."  
  
"DON'T YOU EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" The banged boy ordered, his body shaking with adrenaline and anger.  
  
"I. . .I'm so sorry, Trowa. . ." The blonde whispered meekly, backing away slightly. "I. . .I don't know what happened, really I don't. . ."  
  
"Quatre, you have to get out of here." Trowa frowned, his anger dwindling in view of the blonde safe and unharmed.  
  
"I know." He whispered, looking up at him. "But I wanted to thank you. I. . .I don't know what happened, I. . ." He looked very distraught and even slightly feverish.  
  
The banged boy frowned, and raised a hand to the boy's forehead. The smaller boy blinked in surprise. "Quatre, I want you to see a doctor as soon as you can. You're still sick." The boy nodded, silently promising. "I'll see you again." Trowa promised, "Just. . .Just please stay alive? For me?"  
  
"I will." The smaller boy whispered, "I promise, Trowa. . ." The taller boy offered a small smile.  
  
"OI!" Duo's loud obnoxious voice called from the shuttle next to Trowa's, "I really think you should move out! Wu Fei's on his way and with him will be the rest of the OZ troops. . ."  
  
"Right." Trowa nodded. "Go, Quatre."  
  
"Goodbye, Trowa. . ." The boy said sadly.  
  
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Four pods spun off into the different regions of the colonies. Two carried one of the famed Gundams, the hopes of the future. Each carried a pilot of those famed suits. The last pilot remained behind to secure the remaining suits and to prepare for the next phase of his mission.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
Author's note: Gomen ne for taking so long to post this. But it's up now! And I have the next two chapters almost done! They just need to be beta'd and then they'll be up.  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24 


	8. Chapter seven

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Chapter seven  
  
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Quatre had spent most of his journey to L4 asleep in a feverish state. His dreams were calmer then they had been in the longest time, mostly thanks to the vastness of empty space between the colonies and earth. The people were further from him and so he could barely feel them. It was nice to have a moment's peace.  
  
When he arrived on L4, Instructor H.'s personal assistant met him at the port, along with a doctor. Before he knew it, the blonde had been whisked away and was led to the secret base where H. would be awaiting him.  
  
After two weeks of recuperation, Quatre was deemed fit for duty and the series of tests commenced. At first, they were simply brain scans and blood tests. However, the tests quickly became more serious and more demanding.  
  
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He was alone in a dark room. There were no windows, nor was there any light from the door. He was alone, yet it didn't feel as if he were alone. "H. . .Hello?" he called out softly. "Is anyone there?"  
  
There was no answer.  
  
Quatre shuddered as a cold chill crept up and down his spine. 'Someone is here. . . I can feel them. . . they want. . . they want. . .' The boy closed his eyes in concentration. 'Who ever it is, is in a lot of pain. . .' He grimaced slightly, "But there's something else about them. . ."  
  
//I'm going to get you. . .//  
  
Quatre inhaled a sharp breath.  
  
//I'm going to kill you. . .//  
  
He couldn't move.  
  
//I'm going to cut you to little pieces. . .//  
  
'This person is sick!' He gasped, "I have to get out of here!"  
  
//You can't leave, I'm just getting started. . .//  
  
"This person is evil. . ." Quatre whispered, taking half a step back.  
  
//I can see you. . .//  
  
"Uh!" The blonde choked out, his hand going to his chest, "WHAT is going on? Instructor H.?"  
  
//There is no escape. . .//  
  
'Hatred. . . this person is filled with pure hatred. . .'  
  
//I'm going to get you. . . //  
  
"I have to get away. . ." The smaller boy turned to flee.  
  
//There's nothing you can do!//  
  
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He should have seen the attack coming. He should have thought to defend himself against it. But before he knew it, it was in his side. The blade gouged into his body deeply, and his blood spilt, wetting the flooring as he stumbled. He did not cry out; he couldn't. Everything seemed to freeze as his assailant twisted the blade, digging deeper before ripping it out and leaving the boy for dead.  
  
"Oh. . .Allah. . ." He gasped, fighting off the darkness that threatened to consume him. "I. . . I can't. . . I can't die. . . I promise. . . him. . . I promised Trowa. . ."  
  
"To bad, kid." The dark figure sneered, "You were just too weak. . ."  
  
"No!" Quatre moaned, his hand clamped on his side as he forced himself to his feet, "I can't. . ." He stopped and grimaced. Along with his own searing physical agony, the negative emotions fueled by the distinct desire for blood flooded over the boy. "I won't be killed by the like of you."  
  
"Oh really?" The darkness jeered, "I'd like to see you stop me. . ." He brandished his blade again, "I will spill all of your blood."  
  
"You can try. . ." Quatre said dangerously. The boy's entire demeanor instantly changed. Instead of a timid boy trying to avoid confrontation, a confident boy with empty eyes stood straight, despite the seriousness of his injury. "You like to feel your victim's pain? You like to sense their fear?"  
  
"Huh?" The assailant frowned, "What the hell?" He swung his weapon around blindly in the dark where he had thought the boy was.  
  
"Have you ever sensed fear of that caliber?" Quatre's soft voice was empty of emotion as it whispered tauntingly into the killer's ear, "Have you felt the pain? Experienced the fear that comes when your life is about to be stolen from you?"  
  
The assassin spun around slicing through empty air. "WHERE are you, you little bastard?"  
  
"I thought you could see me. I thought you were going to cut me into little pieces." Quatre taunted through the darkness.  
  
"Come and face me, and then we will see how tough you are."  
  
"It would be wrong to attack an unarmed man." Quatre's voice faltered a bit before becoming hard and unfeeling once more, "But that didn't stop you, did it?"  
  
The whoosh of the blade slicing through the air and the thud it made as it contacted human flesh echoed in the darkness. After a moment of silence, the sound of a poor soul choking on his own blood as he drowned in the crimson fluid seemed to snap the smaller boy out of what ever trance he had fallen under.  
  
Horrified, Quatre cried out, dropping the blade and backing away, "Allah, what have I done?" He gasped out as the lights were brought up and the form of the gutted assassin became completely visible. "OH!" he moaned, bile moving up his throat, "ALLAH!!!"  
  
The assassin was a boy, barely older than himself. And he had killed him without a single thought.  
  
"OH, ALLAH!" The blonde repeated in a breathless wail, backing away from the grisly scene, "What have I done?"  
  
"You have become the ultimate weapon." A nasally voice beamed.  
  
Quatre had collapsed to his knees, the recognition of being injured himself dawning on him. "Instructor H?" He gasped, blinking, struggling to remain conscious. "What. . .What do you mean. . ?"  
  
"You have learned to feed off of the emotions of your enemies and turn them for your advantage!" The sophisticated doctor beamed, "Soon you will be able to destroy entire armies, simply by turning your emotions onto your opponents!"  
  
"No. . .No. . ." The blonde shook his head, his vision becoming cloudy, his head light. "Noooo. . ."  
  
"I knew you had it in you!" The doctor was gushing, "The others mocked my choice for the pilot of Sandrock, but I knew you were the right one!" He knelt by the boy, holding him upright, "You will be sent to the resource satellite where your family is. When you are well, you will report back to me! We have much to do if you are to defeat OZ!"  
  
"But. . .I. . ." The blonde's protests went unheard as the smaller boy succumbed to unconsciousness.  
  
"You will be a force to be reckoned with." Instructor H. gloated as a med team made a makeshift bandage for the wound and carried the young boy away. "One that not even, Dr. J.'s Hiiro Yui will be able to with stand. . ."  
  
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An injured Duo Maxwell was under attack. OZ had him cornered, in endless space, and was set on destroying him. Deathscythe was not equipped properly for Space battles, nor did he have enough ammunition to contend with the force that assaulted him. "Well, I hate to copy Hiiro's move. . ." The braided boy grinned as the enemy suits approached, and he reached for the red button, "BUT TAG ALONG ON MY JOURNY INTO HELL!!" He slammed his fist into the self destruct button, and waited.  
  
Nothing happened.  
  
The braided boy pounded the panel repeatedly, "DAMN IT! I can't even self detonate. . ." He grimaced as Taurus's attached tow cables, "What rotten luck." He grumbled, throwing his hands behind his head, "AW! Go ahead and kill me!" He whined.  
  
"Gundam Pilot." A soldier commanded over the radio, "Prepare to surrender."  
  
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He was taken to L2. Himself and his Gundam displayed in the streets on parade. The civilian's threw rotten fruit and garbage at the mighty machine, screaming out in riot. It was almost more then Duo could bear. "You guys are real sick." He spat angrily as he was half dragged and half pushed into an interrogation room.  
  
"Tell me your name." A tall soldier with dark hair and piercing eyes demanded, as Duo was pushed into a chair.  
  
The braided boy didn't answer; he just focused on a spot on the floor, his mind finding somewhere else to be.  
  
"Tell me your name." The soldier repeated.  
  
Duo began to hum 'Pop goes the weasel' instead.  
  
"I give you one warning, terrorist. Do not try my patience. I will ask you once more and only once more. What is your name?"  
  
Duo turned his bright amethyst eyes up towards the soldier, "Bite me." He dared.  
  
The soldier glared, and motioned to two of the guards. They approached. "Do it." He ordered.  
  
A brief look of hesitation registered in their eyes before an electrical device was jabbed into the braided boy's side. Seconds later, Duo was gritting his teeth against crying out as electrical charges surged through his body.  
  
After a few moments, the soldier motioned the subordinates to cease. "Well, are you feeling talkative?"  
  
The braided boy swallowed hard, "This is the song that never ends. . ." He started to sing.  
  
The subordinates lowered their shockers for another round. After the crackling and sizzling of his flesh ceased, Duo sang louder, though his voice was raspier and had lost some of his cheerfulness, "It goes on and on my friend."  
  
"I can keep this up all night." The soldier warned.  
  
"Some people started singing it, not knowing what it was. . ." Duo sang.  
  
The soldier backhanded him.  
  
". . .and they'll continue singing it forever just because. . ."  
  
"Turn up the voltage." The soldier commanded, before the electric shocks were applied once more.  
  
The pain was excruciating enough for Duo to fall out of his chair and convulse on the floor. Yet, still, he held his tongue.  
  
"This would be so much easier if you told me what I want to know." The soldier patronized.  
  
"I've been told I talk too much. . ." Duo groaned, "I'm trying to cut back."  
  
"Stupid little fool." The soldier shook his head, before he smirked and began to kick the braided boy's stomach. Personally, the soldier was impressed at how well the boy was holding his tongue, "Why don't you scream?"  
  
"Mama always said real men don't scream out loud." Duo choked out, his face bruised and swollen.  
  
"Fine. Throw him in prison. No food, no water for three days." The soldier said turning his back to the bloodied boy, "We'll see how well he cooperates after that."  
  
The subordinates bowed slightly before carting the barely conscious boy away. ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Wu Fei was greeted by the master of his colony. His Gundam was given a secure place to be hidden and the Chinese boy was given ample peace and quiet to collect his thoughts in meditation.  
  
His master worried about him, though. The boy seemed bothered by something and he was not one to volunteer personal information. If what ever concerned Wu Fei wasn't resolved during his personal reflections, then he would be forced to intervene. The master didn't like interfering, but however, Wu Fei sometimes needed that extra push.  
  
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Trowa frowned as he listened to OZ news waves. The report was that a Gundam had been captured and its pilot taken captive. For a moment, He was terrified that it was Quatre, however, he then remembered that Sandrock hadn't made it to space, therefore it couldn't possibly be the little blonde. That made him sigh with relief.  
  
He then pulled up on his shuttle's information base. According to what the reports were saying, Trowa figured that it was probably Duo who had been caught. "Hmm." He pondered, looking at navigation charts. "It's too far away for me, but Hiiro's close to that area. I'm sure he'll do something." Before putting the charts away, though, he made a quick mental note of the location of Quatre's colony in L4 and the neighboring OZ base.  
  
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Hiiro Yui stood in front of a large class, delivering his greeting speech. He knew full well that the subject he chose would be frowned upon and that his peers would shun away from him, and frankly, that's exactly what he wanted. That way, no one would get in his way, and he could remain inconspicuous.  
  
"Please take your seat, Duo Maxwell." The nun requested of the Japanese boy.  
  
Hiiro complied. He wasn't quite sure what compelled him to take Duo's name as an alternate identity, but it's what he was going by. So he took his seat in the last chair of the last row and pulled out his laptop. After plugging in an earpiece, He logged onto the net and searched for current news.  
  
One story seemed prominent and was causing a massive wave of mixed emotions from the other colonies. A Gundam had been captured by L2. It's pilot, taken into captivity. The news footage showed a subdued Duo Maxwell being dragged into a high security prison.  
  
"Duo. . ." the Japanese boy gasped slightly, his stoic mask never fading. He heaved a deep breath, "Omeo kurosu, Duo." He promised, pointing his fingers at the screen as if they were a gun and pretending to fire.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
Author's notes: Just a reminder that this is an AU. Even though events are similar to the series, the paths taken to get to these points are different and therefore the events will be slightly different if not completely different. This is the first story I have written that coincides with the series instead of taking place after it. ~-~;  
  
I know what I want for the next couple of chapters, but because of my wedding, and work, I'm not sure how long it will take me to post them. Believe me; I'll get them out as soon as possible!!! I have the next several chapters of "All Hell Broke Loose" almost done as well and so that will be posted soon. Lots of reviews also encourage me to write more and faster. ^-~  
  
I want to thank everyone who reviews! It is so encouraging to know that people like my stories! I want to extend personal gratitude to the following reviewers: Syaoran-Lover, Mainstream Sovereign (Who is also beta'ing for me!!!), Misanagi, Kawaii-chan, Silentheaven, and Sailorcelestial. Arigato minna! 


	9. Chapter eight

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Chapter eight  
  
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Warning sirens sounded deafeningly through out the base. Personal ran around frantically.  
  
"What's happened?" Quatre asked weakly from his bedroom doorway, as he struggled to stand on his unsteady feet, "What's going on?"  
  
"Quatre!" Instructor H. called, coming up the hall, "You must leave, now! OZ has caught on to this place." He roughly shoved the boy back inside his room. Quatre leaned against a wall, his hand pressed against his side as the Dr. went around throwing the blonde's belongings into a duffle bag, "You must not be captured. . ." He held up a disk in front of the boy's face. "This is a highly encrypted, high security design for a new Gundam." The Dr. said, stuffing the item into the bag along with Quatre's clothes, "It was designed to replace Sandrock. It must not be compromised or all sacrifices will be for nothing."  
  
"Yes, sir." Quatre acknowledged faintly, as the Dr. gripped his arm roughly and half dragged, half pushed him down the crowded corridor.  
  
"We weren't going to send you to your family until next week." Instructor H. muttered, "Damn OZ."  
  
"What about you?" Quatre asked as he was shoved into an escape pod.  
  
"Don't worry about me, or anyone else here." The elder man frowned, "OZ is demanding surrender. We'll be fine. Just get yourself safely out of here and don't compromise that disk!"  
  
Before the smaller boy could protest, his boss closed the hatch and had ejected the pod into space along with thirty others. Quatre was barely conscious; his wound had reopened and was bleeding profusely. OZ was firing on various pods, most of them exploding. However, the pod containing the Gundam pilot escaped unharmed.  
  
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Hiiro handed his paper ID to the guard, who scrutinized every word, every detail. If the Japanese boy hadn't been trained to remain calm and have a level head, he would have been nervous with the amount time the guard was taking. Even so, he lightly fingered the gun he kept behind his back, tucked in his jeans waistband and hidden by his light blue turtleneck.  
  
"Alright." The guard finally relented, sending the boy through customs. With a slight sigh of relief, Hiiro nodded, accepted his credentials back and continued through the line.  
  
Once clear of the registration, Hiiro headed for the hotel that he had reserved a room in. He had his laptop tucked under his arm. This afternoon, he would go over the prison schematics and then tonight . . . well, Hiiro didn't really want to think about tonight.  
  
He had not heard from Dr. J. since he had arrived in space. Assuming he had been captured, Hiiro was left on his own. "Follow your emotions. . ." He muttered to himself. 'Great. What happens when you don't have any emotions?' He thought bitterly, 'Or if your emotions conflict?' His every instinct was telling him that both Dr. J. and Duo were now liabilities and needed to be eliminated. But at the same time, he just wanted to rescue and protect Duo. "What the hell am I supposed to do?" He demanded of no one in particular, as he flopped tiredly onto his bed.  
  
He was tired. 'How long has it been since I last slept? Or ate for that matter?' he pondered. 'A couple days at least. . .' He sighed deeply. 'I need to go over those schematics. . .' he reminded himself. "Damn you, Duo." He scowled.  
  
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He had just been thrown back into that dark, cold cell after another interrogation session. His body was broken and bleeding. He hurt in places, he didn't know existed. And what was worse, the braided boy was beginning to feel his resolve wavering. He wasn't sure that he'd be able to keep his mouth shut for much longer. The next time they took him from this cell. . .  
  
"Oi. . ." Duo groaned pitifully, "Hiiro's going to kill me. . ."  
  
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The banged boy repressed a shudder, as troops of OZ soldiers passed by him. He stood in the recruiting room with over five hundred other young teenagers. He had his falsified documents prepared for submission, should one of the soldiers choose him to inspect.  
  
Even through the seriousness of his situation. Even through the impending danger of being discovered. Even though he knew it was a matter of life or death. Trowa found his thoughts drifting towards the small blonde. It had been almost a month since he had last seen him and had yelled at him. 'Why did I do that?' He silently asked himself. 'You know that he never would have done something like that on his own accord. . .'  
  
"Name?"  
  
"Barton, Trowa, sir." He replied automatically, staring past the Lt. that had asked the question.  
"Age?"  
  
"Sixteen, sir." His green eyes never wavering, even as his thoughts turned else where. 'Quatre will be alright. . .' He tried to reassure himself, 'So focus on your mission, so you can see him again.'  
  
"Colony of origin?"  
  
"L 3." It was best if you could include as much truth in your lies, so that it was harder to trace. Any research mistakes found in his background would be chalked up to clerical errors.  
  
"Any experiences with piloting?"  
  
Trowa smirked inwardly to himself, 'Yeah, I'm a Gundam pilot. . .' His face remained a passive mask, "I have piloted crop dusters and I have helped repair the outer hull of L 3 on two occasions."  
  
"Colonel Une." The Lt. addressed his superior, "This young man qualifies."  
  
The cold gaze of the colonel through her thick glasses sent shivers up and down the boy's spine. 'So this is Colonel Une. . .' Trowa noted, memorizing her face.  
  
"Bring him, Nickole." Une sneered, turning on her heel and marching out of the room.  
  
"Come on." The dark haired soldier ordered, motioning the banged boy to follow him.  
  
Trowa bent down, picked up his duffle bag and fell in line with twenty other candidates. 'Please be alright, Quatre. . .'  
  
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Quatre awoke in a hospital. His entire body ached and the remnants of pain radiating from his chest reminded him of the deaths he felt before unconsciousness had graciously claimed him. He groaned slightly as he looked around.  
  
Machines beeped and hummed through out the room. A young woman stood with her back towards him, writing on a clip board. She had shoulder length blonde hair, a shade darker then his own. As if sensing his eyes on her, she turned around. Blue-grey eyes stared at him. "So, you're awake." She commented, "It's about time. How do you feel?"  
  
"Tired. . .sore. . ." He frowned slightly, his brow furrowing. "Where am I?"  
  
"The hospital on L4." She said, a note of disapproval. The blonde boy groaned, straining to sit up, "Oh, no. . .I gotta get out of here. . ."  
  
"You're not going anywhere, at least not right now." She frowned gently pushing the boy back to the pillows, "I don't know what happened to you, but you were badly injured. You almost died."  
  
"I need to get to the Resource satellite." Quatre protested, "Please, do you know where I can charter a shuttle?"  
  
The doctor sighed, "I can get you the shuttle, just promise that you'll rest first? You can't make it to the satellite if you're dead."  
  
"I promise." Quatre relaxed slightly, "I'm sorry to burden you like this."  
  
Her demeanor became gentler. "It's alright." She said, with a small smile as she turned to leave. "Just rest."  
  
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Explosions racked the entire facility. The angry shouts and cries of soldiers, as gun fire and grenades caught them off guard killing most, leaving some mangled and dying, rang loudly through the halls.  
  
Duo forced his eyes open as the door to his cell was blown off. After his eyes adjusted to the sudden burst of blinding light that flooded the small dark room, the braided boy made out the tall lanky form of a teenage boy dressed in jeans and a light blue turtleneck. "H. . .Hiiro?" He asked disbelievingly as he struggled to sit up. "What. . .what are you doing here?"  
  
Hiiro didn't answer. He just stared at the beaten, bloodied boy. Then he reached behind his back and pulled out his pistol. He aimed it at the American, uncertainly.  
  
The braided boy blinked stunned and slightly confused. He had wanted to see Hiiro. He thought that the Japanese boy might be mad at his stupidity. He even thought that Hiiro might threaten to kill him. But he had kept his mouth shut. He hadn't uttered a single word and therefore he hadn't truly believed that Hiiro would actually carry through with the threat. "Hiiro?" He asked, a pained grin crossing his face as he strained to his feet, using the wall as a support. "So, you're going to kill me?" He smirked and spread his arms wide open, his eyes sliding closed. "Well go right on ahead!"  
  
Hiiro frowned slightly in confusion. 'He really wants me to . . .?' he questioned himself, before shaking his head slightly, the cold mask returning. Slowly, he raised the gun, aiming it at the braided boy's chest and removed the safety.  
  
Duo's eyes flew wide open, "Y. . .You're really gonna do it! You're going to kill me?" He looked surprised, and hurt and sad and. . .and. . . betrayed.  
  
"If that's what you want." Hiiro replied simply, lowering his arm. Relief flooded over the braided American's face, followed by a wave of pain and discomfort. Hiiro frowned slightly at the poor shape the boy was in. "You're right hand is still good, right?" Warily the boy nodded as he caught the pistol Hiiro tossed him. "Good, come on."  
  
"So where's your Gundam?" Duo asked, his eyes searching the halls for danger.  
  
"I left it on earth." Hiiro replied, "It would stand out too much out here in space and I would end up being captured just like you did."  
  
"Nani? So how do you expect us to get out of here?" Duo asked stumbling forward until Hiiro caught and supported him.  
  
The dark haired boy shook his head. "I haven't thought that far a head yet." The American gapped. "I came to kill you." Hiiro explained, "I hadn't thought about escaping."  
  
"Great. . ." Duo mumbled.  
  
Hiiro held up a grenade, pulling the pin. "If we fail to make it out of here, it'll be as simple as silencing the two of us." He threw the bomb down the hall and then took Duo the opposite way. Machine gun fire attacked them until Duo fired several rounds, killing the shooters. Hiiro launched another grenade and ran past the chaos its detonation ensued.  
  
"Damn." Duo swore, half grinning, half grimacing, "Why is it the quiet guys who always do things the flashiest ways?"  
  
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"Father, Quatre has returned to L4." The doctor said happily over the vid phone. "He wants to be taken to the resource satellite as soon as possible."  
  
"Thank you Iria." The stern physique of Mr. Winner acknowledged. "When do you expect to arrive?"  
  
"Hopefully, by tomorrow night." Iria smiled sadly, "He was badly injured somehow. I don't want to push him too much, too quickly."  
  
"Please, keep me informed." Mr. Winner ordered.  
  
"Of course, Father." The blonde young woman bowed her head slightly with respect before cutting transmissions. After taking a deep breath, she left her office and entered the room where her young blonde patient rested. Upon her entry, he looked up at her with pained aquamarine orbs. "Good news." She smiled, "I found a shuttle going to the Resource satellite tomorrow evening. You should be able to make the flight."  
  
Quatre sighed with relief. "I thank you."  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ To be continued. . . 


	10. chapter nine

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Chapter nine  
  
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"Quatre, you truly are a foolish boy." Mr. Winner said not looking at his son. "What were you thinking? Running off like that? Very irresponsible of you. You have responsibilities here that you must fulfill. You can't do that if you're dead!"  
  
"Father. . ." The blonde boy started before he was cut off.  
  
"Quatre, I don't want to listen to your excuses, nor do I want to listen to your childish foolishness. I simply want obedience."  
  
"I do what I feel I must." Quatre said slowly, his gaze focused on the cream colored carpet. "What my heart tells me I must. . ."  
  
"That's bull shit, Quatre and you know it." His father slammed his fist on the large mahogany desk, causing the blonde to jump slightly. "I won't stand for your insubordination!"  
  
"Father, I. . ."  
  
"You will cease in your war games, boy. You will return back to school."  
  
Quatre sighed, grimacing slightly. His hand stole up to his chest as his father's anger bombarded him. "Father, please. . ." he pleaded, as he began to feel dizzy.  
  
"Quatre, you are almost an adult, it's about time that you began to act like one and that means realizing that you are unable to fix the problems of the world."  
  
The blonde boy's balance wavered slightly, "I. . ."  
  
"Son," Mr. Winner frowned as he moved his eyes to the window. "I know you don't realize how much you mean to this family. But that is no excuse for your behavior."  
  
Quatre started to make a gagging sound as he began to choke on his own breath. The youth doubled over in his pain.  
  
"I want you to return to your room." Mr. Winner dismissed him abruptly. "I want you to contemplate what I'm trying to get across to you, and prepare to return to school in the morning." He turned, "Is that understood, Son?" he raised an eyebrow towards the boy when he received no response. "Quatre?"  
  
"I. . .I. . ." The small blonde pitched forward.  
  
"Quatre!"  
  
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"Hiiro, I've gotta get my Gundam!" Duo insisted for the um-teenth time. "Who knows what OZ will do with Deathscythe. . ."  
  
"It's irrelevant." Hiiro announced.  
  
"What!?" Duo gapped, "Hiiro, how can you say that? It's my Gundam! MY GUNDAM!!"  
  
"The Scientists have been captured and are being held inside the Mobile Suit Manufacturing Plant on the moon." Hiiro frowned. He handed some documents and photos to the braided boy that lay propped up on some pillows in a hospital bed. "They're building new Gundams for OZ."  
  
Duo's face paled, "Ones that surpass our own Gundams. . ."  
  
Hiiro's Prussian eyes narrowed with certainty. "I'll eliminate all obstacles."  
  
Duo looked at him, a look of awe and dread crossed his face. "Oh, Hiiro. . ." he sighed in dismay. "So, what are we going to do?" The braided boy asked as he flipped through the papers.  
  
Hiiro sat on the edge of the hospital bed, next to the wounded boy, "We aren't going to do anything." He began. Duo opened his mouth to protest, but a groan of pain was the only thing that came out. A shadow of a small smile crossed the Japanese boy's face, "You need to worry about getting better. You can attend school here. Registration has already been taken care of in your name."  
  
"While you go and attack an OZ base single handedly?" The braided boy frowned, "I don't think so, Hiiro. You need back up."  
  
"It's not like I'm going to be attacking head on." Hiiro smirked, "Infiltration, unnoticed."  
  
"What I do best!" Duo pleaded, "Common, Hiiro. Let me come too!"  
  
The dark haired boy shook his head, "Duo, you can barely stand. You'd be more of a liability then of a help."  
  
"I know." The boy relented with a grimace. "With all that is going on, I am going to need time to recover."  
  
"I'll be okay." Hiiro reassured, though he really didn't know why he bothered. It wasn't as if he cared about the American. "I'll go in, and destroy the base after I execute the Doctors. It'll be a piece of cake."  
  
Duo didn't look very convinced, but he nodded his agreement none the less.  
  
"Rest, Duo." Hiiro said gently, "Get better."  
  
"I will, Hiiro." The braided boy agreed as the Japanese boy grabbed his knapsack and headed towards the door. A solitary tear slid from his amethyst eye as the door closed, "Just don't over do it. Huh? Like you're going to listen. . ." He snorted bitterly and pulled himself to the large glass window for one last glimpse of the reckless pilot, "What am I thinking? Of course you're going to over do it . . . you always do."  
  
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Trowa didn't like the situation. Each of the five scientists had been captured, and was being forced by Lady Une to make a Mobile Suit superior to the Gundams. They were grumbling a lot, however, they were complying. If Hiiro caught wind of this, he would definitely come to rectify the situation, and that might complicate things.  
  
What was more, he had heard from Instructor H. that Quatre had reached a high point in his training and would no longer be the same person. 'What's happened to you, Quat?' the banged boy thought worriedly. Frustrated, Trowa tried to block out the thoughts of the little blonde. 'I can't be distracted at a time like this.' He glared at himself in his bathroom mirror, "Quatre is a soldier, and he can take care of himself." He told himself sternly.  
  
'Yes,' replied his voice of reason, 'But what if they found out your feelings? Your distractions? They could have done something as a result.'  
  
Trowa shook his head, "No!" He banged the bathroom counter, with his fist "I can't be thinking like that!!!" He told himself, "Quatre will be okay!!!"  
  
A knock at his quarter's door startled him. He quickly washed his sweaty face and assured himself that his stoic mask was in place before he exited the bathroom, crossed the bedroom and answered the persistent visitor.  
  
OZ Lt. Nickole was there.  
  
Trowa's eyebrow quirked in mild irritation. "Sir?"  
  
"Colonel Une wishes to see you." The Lt. said bitterly. Trowa nodded slightly in acknowledgment. "She's in the main hanger."  
  
The banged boy closed his door and walked towards the main hanger.  
  
"BARTON!" Nickole shouted after him.  
  
Trowa stopped.  
  
"Aren't you forgetting something?" The older man glared down at the teenager.  
  
"No, sir." Trowa said simply.  
  
"You didn't salute me, soldier."  
  
"I didn't feel the need." Trowa said with a hint of smugness. "I take my orders from Colonel Une. She is the only one I'll salute."  
  
"You punk!" Nickole snarled, grabbing the banged boy's collar. "I don't care what the Colonel says, I know you're a Gundam pilot!"  
  
"You're welcome to try and prove it." Trowa smirked. "Now if you'll excuse me, I believe Colonel Une is waiting for me." He pushed past the OZ soldier before pausing, "Oh, and Lt. . ." He called back. "If you do take on the challenge of proving your accusations towards me, I wish you luck."  
  
"You wish me luck?" the soldier's glare deepened.  
  
"You'll need it if you're to find something that's not there."  
  
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Quatre's eyes slowly fluttered open into the waiting gaze of the Doctor from L4. "Are you okay?" she asked, concern written on her face.  
  
The blonde groaned and tried to pull himself into a sitting position. "Hai. . . what happened?"  
  
"I was hoping you could tell me." She frowned as the bedroom door opened abruptly, startling both of them.  
  
Quatre peered around the doctor and saw that his father stood in the doorway. "Father. . .?" He questioned.  
  
"Quatre!" Mr. Winner sighed with relief. With long strides he was at his son's bedside. "Are you alright?"  
  
"Yes, sir." The heir smiled faintly.  
  
"Hn." His father grunted before turning to the Doctor. "Well, Iria?"  
  
She sighed, "Father, I don't know anything more then I did the first, second or third times you've asked me. Please, just be patient."  
  
"Iria, you know how important it is that Quatre be in the best of health."  
  
"Yes, father." She sighed again. The feelings of an old argument stirring once again, hung in the air.  
  
Quatre frowned slightly, his hand stealing to his chest, before scooting his way over to the edge of the bed. With a quiet yelp, his bare feet came in contact with cold hard wood flooring.  
  
"Quatre, what the hell do you think you're doing?" His father demanded, placing a restrictive hand on the boy's shoulder.  
  
"If you must know," Quatre glared, shrugging the hand away. "I'm going to the bathroom."  
  
"Quatre. . ."  
  
"Let him go, Father." Iria advised.  
  
"He can't speak to me like that." Mr. Winner protested.  
  
The doctor looked towards where the small blonde had disappeared, "I think our bickering gets to him." She said thoughtfully.  
  
"How so?" her father inquired.  
  
She looked up at him and then down towards the floor. "Like it did to Mother."  
  
"You mean. . ." His father got a horrified look on his face.  
  
Iria nodded, "Yes, I believe he's an empath."  
  
"No. . ." Mr. Winner denied, "It can't be. . . That was just a unique thing about her. . ."  
  
"And it looks like our dear little Quatre has inherited it."  
  
"If that were true, then he wouldn't be able to kill. It would cause him too much pain. . ."  
  
"It does cause me pain." Quatre's quiet voice answered, "But it also gives me the strength to protect others, so that they don't feel sorrow. . ." He looked up at his father, "Why didn't you ever tell me that Mother had an Uchuu no Kokoro?"  
  
"A what?"  
  
"The sense to feel others!" Quatre clarified impatiently, before turning towards Iria, "And why didn't you tell me you were one of my sisters?"  
  
"It never seemed appropriate." The older Winner sibling replied to both questions. "Honestly, there was no point in letting you know about Mother, unless you had developed the same sense. And as for myself," She shrugged, "It seemed as though you had enough stress." She smiled kindly, "I would never do anything to harm you, my dearest little Quatre."  
  
"Iria. . ." He sighed calmer as his eldest sister wrapped her arms around his thin body in a loving embrace.  
  
"We're all routing for you, Quatre." She encouraged him, "And Father's no exception." She whispered, a slight giggle in her voice.  
  
"Iria, what are you telling him?" Mr. Winner demanded.  
  
"Nothing, Father." She chided, "You're being paranoid."  
  
"Iria. . ."  
  
She smiled, "I must go." She announced, "but I shall return later." She turned to her little brother as he collapsed tiredly onto the bed, "Get some rest, Quatre. I'm really glad you're home."  
  
"Thanks, Iria." He said sleepily.  
  
"Father." She said sternly, "Don't go jumping down his throat. He doesn't need that. He needs rest and some peace and quiet." She smirked, "Doctor's orders."  
  
"Fine, If that's what the doctor orders, however, that does not excuse his behaviors and they will need to be addressed."  
  
"And they will be." She assured him, "In a few days." Reluctantly, Mr. Winner agreed.  
  
They both turned towards the youngest of the family to find him fast asleep. His dreams, for once, seemingly peaceful.  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	11. Chapter ten

^-^  
I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed, and my Beta.  
  
I almost have Chapter eleven completed, and that will be out soon. I also have the last three chapters and the epilogue completed. I just need to finish the middle chapters ~-~; But I work on them day and night, so it won't be to much longer. I'm hoping, because of work and life, that I'll  
be able to post at least one chapter per week. No promises, but that is  
what I'm shooting for, and hey, maybe I'll surprise you and post more  
often.  
  
Anyways, Arigato Minna!!!!! And please, keep reading.  
  
Weissangel24  
  
P.S. Misanagi: Yes, the dreaded chapter :: Insert scary music:: is coming. . . but it's not this one and probably not the next one either. ^-^; I have honestly no Idea how mellow or terrible it will be yet, my muses are  
working overtime in order to figure that out.  
Please keep reading and reviewing.  
  
Arigato,  
  
^-^  
  
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Chapter ten  
  
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Quatre gratefully accepted his tea from a servant and settled in an oversized armchair with his book. His injuries weren't as painful today, though he was still tired. Quiet reading was just what he needed.  
  
Atlas, it was not meant to be.  
  
"Quatre. . ." Iria said, a worried look on her face, "I think you should come look at this. . ." She gestured for him to follow.  
  
Warily, Quatre sighed. "I'm coming, Iria. . ." He said as he set down his book and picked up his tea cup, before following his older sister into the T.V. room. "What is it?"  
  
"Look. . ." she said, pointing at the screen, and the battle it showed.  
  
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The braided boy reached out and ripped the wanted poster from the wall. Glaring, he crumpled it up and threw it into the trash. Nervously, he glanced about the busy streets, pulling his black cap lower, covering his eyes. "Why are the colony citizens so eager to swallow OZ's lies?" He asked himself, shaking his head as he spied another poster, "They didn't even get my good side." He pouted tearing that poster up as well.  
  
// New OZ recruits are taking a test to demonstrate their skills in a mock battle against space mines. . .//  
  
Duo glared up at the big screen that sat in the middle of the Colony's main square.  
  
"Traitors. . ."  
  
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It was pathetic.  
  
He and the other recruits had to demonstrate their level of skill by using old space Leos to destroy specified targets.  
  
And the others sucked.  
  
The banged boy smirked. 'This is almost too easy.' He thought, as he destroyed target after target. "This is Trowa Barton. I am finished with the test."  
  
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"Colonel, his stats are amazing." Lt. Nickole said. "There's no way for him to be this good- unless he is a Gundam pilot. . ."  
  
"Did you find anything in his files?" Une raised an eyebrow.  
  
"No, Colonel."  
  
"Then it looks as if he has some natural talent that is just now having a chance to show."  
  
"But Colonel!" The Lt. protested.  
  
"I have a way to prove his loyalties. . ." The colonel grinned evilly.  
  
"Trowa Barton, we have one more test for you." Nickole's voice ordered, seemingly somewhat smugly, across the radio, "Please destroy the following target. . ."  
  
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An image flashed onto Trowa's monitor. The banged boy's eyes widened, with recognition, "But that's the. . ."  
  
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The tea cup that he held in his hands crashed to the floor, shattering, the dark liquid seeping into and staining the cream colored carpet. The blonde shook his head in denial at what he was witnessing on the vid screen. "You would betray us, Trowa?"  
  
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// A colonist, Trowa Barton, who was enraged at the Gundams, is about to show his loyalty by destroying one of the enemy suits. // The news caster reported as an image of a dark Gundam floating amidst debris in open space, came into focus.  
  
Duo's face lost all of its color as he realized exactly which suit that was. "Hey, Deathscythe. . ." He whispered to his old partner. "Don't go giving up on me. . . You're going to be alright. . . You hear?" ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
'Duo will never forgive me.' Trowa thought as he stared at the machine, his target. 'Quatre will never forgive me. . .'  
  
/Trowa Barton, fire on the target./ an officer ordered from across the radio. Trowa didn't move.  
  
"I knew it Colonel!" Lt. Nickole gloated, "He is a Gundam pilot!"  
  
"Hand me your beam cannon." Trowa said, his voice even, and cold.  
  
"What?" Nickole frowned.  
  
"It's made from Gundaniam alloy." Trowa explained to the simpleton, "The Leo's weapon won't complete the objective."  
  
Hesitatingly, Nickole handed over his mobile suit's beam cannon.  
  
Trowa aimed and fired.  
  
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The screen was enveloped in a blinding flash of light as the Gundam Deathscythe exploded.  
  
Duo couldn't believe it. He just stared at the screen in utter shock. Finally, when it did set in, what had just happened, he couldn't stand it. The braided boy shook his head, muttering "No. . . no. . ." repeatedly, until he whipped away from the scene and screamed out his sorrow and grief, "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
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// "NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" //  
  
"Uh-ah!" the sensitive boy gasped sharply, his hands clenched at his heart as he fought to remain standing. "D. . .Duo!" He cried, tears streaming down his face, "T. . .Trowa!" Quatre grimaced as he stumbled to the door, before collapsing to his knees, "No, no, no. . ." He sobbed, "Trowa's not a traitor! He's not . . . He can't be! Not Trowa. . . He's not a traitor -NO!"  
  
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Trowa swallowed the lump in his throat. 'That was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do. . .' He thought. 'I'm sorry, Quatre. . . I'm so sorry. . .'  
  
Droplets of water floated in front of the banged boy. He blinked in surprise. "Those sparkles. . ." he whispered amazed, "They're my tears. . ."  
  
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Lt. Nickole was fit to be tied, as he waited for Trowa to arrive from the main hanger. He had been sure that the test would be proof to the pilot's true identity. 'Who knew that he'd actually be willing to go as far as to destroy his own ally. . .' He sulked.  
  
The elevator doors slid open and Trowa stepped out. The two soldiers glared at each other for a long moment before Nickole spoke.  
  
"The Colonel wishes to meet you." He frowned, "Follow me."  
  
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"QUATRE!" Iria shrieked upon seeing her brother collapsed on the floor. "What's wrong?"  
  
"It hurts, Iria. . ." He gasped out. "Duo. . .Trowa. . . oh, Allah. . ."  
  
The older sibling knelt by the younger, "Quatre, it's your empathy, isn't it?" The boy nodded, still trying to gasp for air. "Tell me how I can help you. . ."  
  
Quatre shook his head, 'There's nothing you can do. . . We've been betrayed by our own. . .' He thought miserably.  
  
A strong embrace enveloped the small teenager, pulling him close, "You knew that pilot." She said. "And you knew that suit. Huh?"  
  
"Yes. . ." He whispered, his eyes sliding shut, tears streaming down his cheeks, "I do. . ."  
  
"I'm sorry." Iria whispered, smoothing out his blond hair.  
  
It took several moments before the traumatic empathic episode passed enough for the boy to climb back to his feet. There was a new look in his eyes.  
  
"Quatre?" The young woman asked, taking a step away from him.  
  
The boy turned and headed out the door, "I need to run an errand." He said, his voice different, darker from his usual light tenor.  
  
"I'll drive you." Iria offered, catching his arm and detaining him.  
  
The blonde boy blinked several times before a small smile graced his face, "Thank you, Iria." He nodded.  
  
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Mr. Winner stood in front of delegates. Some of them were pacifists, others were board members and council members, and others were OZ soldiers and dignitaries. They all glared down at him and shouted accusations and threats.  
  
"You are all out of your minds!" He shouted, "You want to govern yourselves, yet you want to fall prey to OZ's lies and control!"  
  
"You are a dictator, Mr. Winner." A board member, one of the employees at Winner Enterprises, accused, "You monopolize the resources, jeopardizing the welfare of this colony cluster."  
  
"That's not true!" Quatre's father denied, "Just because I will not authorize the use of resources for the purpose of manufacturing weapons, does not mean that I have with held them for anything else. You want peace and freedom, yet you want to manufacture the weapons that will imprison and oppress you."  
  
"You claim that you're not a dictator, that this is a diplomacy?" An OZ general asked, "Then let us put it to a vote? All in favor?"  
  
There were no green lights showing support for Mr. Winner.  
  
The officer smirked, as Mr. Winner adapted the physique of a beaten man, "All opposed?"  
  
The red lights signaled his doom.  
  
Mr. Winner left the forum and headed to the only place he could think of. "You won't be manufacturing weapons using my satellites." He swore.  
  
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The streets were filled with rioters, all screaming against the Winner name.  
  
Iria led Quatre through back allies and away from the mobs.  
  
"What's going on here?" Quatre demanded as he tried to catch his breath.  
  
Iria shook her head sadly, "The people don't think that we should own the resources, that we're stealing them away from the people."  
  
"But that's not true!" Quatre protested, "We've always given most of the resources back to the people!"  
  
"I know, and they know." Iria nodded, "but they still feel that we're being dictators."  
  
"That's so wrong. . ."Quatre frowned, "We've always done the right thing, and nothing but the right thing. . ."  
  
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Mr. Winner ran around the resource satellite's control room like a crazed maniac. He was pressing different buttons and turning different switches to free the satellite from its tether to L4. "I'm not about to allow you to use this satellite for weapons manufacturing." He said. "I will destroy it before that will happen!"  
  
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They were in the elevator that connected the satellite to the colony, when Iria received a phone call. "Father's disconnecting the satellite!" she exclaimed.  
  
"He can't!" Quatre protested. "We have to stop him!"  
  
Iria grabbed her brother's arm, "Come on, Quatre!" She yelled, pulling on his arm, "We can find a shuttle over this way. . ."  
  
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Soon the siblings were in a shuttle headed for the satellite.  
  
"Father, what are you doing?" Iria demanded, as her little brother piloted the shuttle, trying to avoid the weapons fire from L4.  
  
"I'm not going to allow this satellite to fall into OZ's hands."  
  
Quatre shook his head, "But they're going to destroy you, please escape!"  
  
"Quatre, what I'm doing is escaping. I cannot live in a world ruled by OZ, but I'm not going to fight it. This is the only way."  
  
The blonde heir's eyes went wide in horror, "FATHER! FATHER!" He cried.  
  
"Goodbye, Quatre. Please, promise me that you won't fight in those dreadful suits anymore."  
  
Then the satellite exploded, and knocked the shuttle away. The siblings screamed as their ship was sent spinning. Quatre was thrown from his seat.  
  
"QUATRE!" Iria shouted, jumping after him and using her own body to protect him. She could hear her ribs cracking and breaking under the sudden impact from her brother slamming into her. "AH-UH!" she grimaced in pain.  
  
"Iria!" Quatre cried, fear and pain filling his voice, "Are you alright?"  
  
The young woman forced a smile, "Sure." She said, before coughing up blood.  
  
"OH, Allah. . ." Quatre shook his head, "Iria. . ."  
  
"Father was very brave, don't you think so?" She asked, her eyes glazing over.  
  
The boy winced as he felt her pain. "Very brave." He agreed, "OZ doesn't understand kind people."  
  
"You are kind, Quatre, don't ever change. . ." She ran her hand along his cheek, drying his tears. "I love you, my dearest little Quatre."  
  
"I love you too, Iria. . ." He closed his eyes as hers did, his hand stealing up to his heart as the pinprick of her death reached him.  
  
Slowly, his eyes opened again. They were void of any more tears. They were void of any kindness. They were very unlike Quatre. "I'll make you pay, OZ. . ." He swore, as his hand reached into his pocket and pulled out a disk, "I swear I'll send you all straight to HELL!" Insane laughter filled the cabin of the shuttle as it drifted further into space.  
  
The kind hearted Quatre was no longer on board.  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	12. Chapter eleven

Author's notes: My email has changed to griordantroy@yahoo.com. I have yet to tell this to my beta, so this has not been beta'd yet. If anyone  
finds mistakes, please let me know, and I'll fix them.  
Arigato!!!!  
  
Okay, this is the longest chapter I've written (I think) ever. I wanted to have these events in the same chapter; but some of them turned out longer then I expected, and there wasn't a place where I felt comfortable placing a cliffhanger. Please bare with me though, the next chapter will probably  
be a lot shorter than this one.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
^-^  
  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter eleven  
  
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The Vayeate and the Mercurius.  
  
The banged boy glared at the suits. Then he glared at the engineers that had created them. "Why two suits?" He asked, his emerald eyes piercing, sending silent threats.  
  
Dr. J. cleared his throat, and flexed his mechanical clawed arm. "They each excel in one aspect. The Vayeate has the most powerful beam cannon we could give it with out hindrance to it's mobility and the Mercurius has an energy shield strong enough to deflect a blast from the Vayeate."  
  
"If they were pitted against each other, which one would win?" Colonel Une asked.  
  
"Naturally the one with the better pilot." J snorted. The other engineers chuckled amused.  
  
Une glared at them before turning back to Trowa. "So, what do you think?"  
  
The banged boy studied the suits for a moment longer before carefully answering, "From what I've heard," He began slowly, "These suits have a lot to live up to if they are to surpass the Gundams." He nodded, "I'd very much like to pilot one of these suits."  
  
"I'm sure that can be arranged." Une agreed, ignoring Nickole's protests. "When will they be completed?"  
  
"I would think by next week. . . if all goes well, of course." Instructor O mused.  
  
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He had snuck onto the Ex-Alliance Space base known as Barge. The guards weren't the brightest, so he didn't have any difficulties finding the top secret machines.  
  
He glared as he surveyed the situation. The five engineers were huddled around a computer console seemingly giving a report to the Colonel and two attending soldiers.  
  
"Wait a minute. . ." Hiiro mumbled under his breath. 'One of those soldiers looked an awful lot like. . .'  
  
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A brief moment caught the banged boy's peripheral vision. 'One of the others is here. . .' He mused. 'This is going to be interesting, to say the least.'  
  
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The Vayeate turned it's large beam cannon, aiming at the small group of people gathered at the red suit's feet.  
  
The weapon charged up.  
  
"Colonel!" Trowa alerted, pushing the woman back.  
  
"Activate the Mercurius' Shield!" Instructor H ordered. Professor G hastily complied, and the magnetic shield surrounded them just as the blue suit fired.  
  
The impact was great despite the shield, and they were all knocked off their feet.  
  
"What idiot would fire that thing in here!?" Dr. J shouted angrily.  
  
Trowa smirked, slightly, under the cover of his bangs. 'It must be Hiiro. . .' He thought to himself, standing. "Wu Fei is to self absorbed, Duo isn't the quiet type and Quatre. . . Quatre wouldn't be this bold.'  
  
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The Vayeate had no legs and there for was being held up by cables that were suspended from the ceiling. When he fired the beam cannon, the cables groaned and protested against the movement until the cables snapped and the blue suit plummeted to the ground.  
  
With a hiss, the cockpit opened and the lanky teenage boy fell out. 'It was, Trowa. . .' he frowned, reaching behind his back for the pistol he kept in the waist band of his black spandex shorts, 'Has he betrayed us?'  
  
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Trowa ran forward, leapt up into the air, completed a triple summersault and landed on his feet in front of a slightly startled Hiiro Yui. His gun was drawn and aimed at the Japanese boy.  
  
They stared at each other for a moment before Hiiro dropped his pistol, and raised his hands in surrender. He glared at the taller boy, studying him, trying to discern whether or not, he was actually a traitor.  
  
Trowa sighed slightly and gave a slight shake of his head, before motioning the shorter boy to walk towards the Colonel. As Hiiro passed, he whispered, almost inaudibly, "Mission." Hiiro relaxed slightly. 'So he hadn't betrayed us. That's good, I didn't really want to kill him.'  
  
"Very good." The Colonel praised, "If it weren't for your quick thinking, I'm sure that this rebel would have tried to assassinate all of us given the chance."  
  
"What shall I do with him, Colonel?" Trowa asked, his voice cold.  
  
"Throw him into the detention block." She ordered with a wave of her hand. "I'll figure out whether or not I want to execute him later."  
  
"Ma'am."  
  
Dr. J watched as Hiiro was led away. 'That's two.' He thought, somewhat pleased.  
  
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Shenlong was badly damaged.  
  
"It's going to take forever to make the repairs!" Wu Fei sulked as he looked at the report. "And I have no supplies. . . Nataku!" He shouted angrily, "We have to be a whole lot stronger!"  
  
Suddenly, the proximity alarm went off moments before the dragon Gundam was rocked by blaster fire.  
  
"KISAMA!" The Chinese boy swore, "OZ. . . I have no thermal energy, I'm out of bullets and my propulsion is low. Still I Will Take You ON!"  
  
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"It's Gundam 05." A corporal said, studying her monitors. ". . .And it's not fighting back. . .Chief Tubarov, your orders?"  
  
"A Gundam- huh?" The middle aged man smirked, "I'd like to study that suit. Capture it."  
  
"And the pilot, sir?"  
  
"We'll hand him over to Colonel Une when we arrive on Barge."  
  
"Yes, sir."  
  
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//Gundam pilot, prepare to surrender.// Wu Fei scoffed, "You're letting me live? You're very gracious, Mr. Chief Engineer. I'll be sure to pay you back when Nataku and I are a whole lot stronger."  
  
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Duo Maxwell reclined nonchalantly in a chair in a dinner. He was glaring at the over head screen. There was a news cast about a weapon's manufacturing base located on the moon. "I haven't heard back from Hiiro. . ." He murmured to himself, pushing his dark shades further up his nose, "So either he got captured, or . . ." He paused, "captured." He amended, not wanting to think of the other alternative. "Either way, he's not going to go after that, and there's no way I can allow it to remain there." He grumbled, "Weapons don't belong in outer space." He turned and looked out the large window that over looked the colony's busy streets. "The colonies wanted independence and freedom so badly, so why are they following OZ like a little lost puppy?"  
  
"We're not." A voice interrupted. Duo looked up to see a young girl, about his age. She had short dark hair and was grinning ear to ear. "OZ has given us the opportunities to rebuild and pick ourselves up after the Alliance left. This isn't a dictatorship, it's a partnership."  
  
"A partnership?" Duo couldn't believe what he was hearing. "You've got to be kidding."  
  
"I'm not. OZ has provided resources needed to repair our colonies. In exchange, we help them protect the colonies. I'm ready to give my life for the sake of the colony. . ."  
  
"Oh, really?" Duo scoffed. He couldn't decide whether or not this girl was being serious. "Then maybe I should join. . .err?"  
  
The girl had thrust a paper into his face, causing his sunglasses to slip down his face, "They're holding a recruiting next week. You should join. I'd probably see you there, my name is Hilde Schubeicher."  
  
The braided boy's violet eyes glimmered with mischief, as he pushed up his glasses and accepted the paper. Hilde waved as she turned and walked away. Duo grinned as he studied the application. "Count on it baby, I'll be there."  
  
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Hiiro and Wu Fei were being transported from Barge to the Moon Base. They were both handcuffed and under guard. The Chinese boy scowled as he tested his restraints.  
  
"So what do they plan to do with us?" He demanded. "Use us as test pilots for their new suits?"  
  
Hiiro shrugged, "Use us for target practice is more likely. Even OZ has agreed that we're pretty lively."  
  
"It doesn't matter. Either way, they'll regret keeping us alive."  
  
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Duo grinned widely as the guard checked his application. He adjusted his duffle bag on his shoulder, "All righty then. . ." The braided boy said, snatching the paper away, "I'll just be on my way. . ."  
  
"Wait a minute!" a familiar voice called. Duo cringed inwardly, "I know you! I told you the recruiting was next week! I want to look at that application!"  
  
"Oh, this?" Duo shrugged and held it up. "It's all filled out. . . BUT IT'S A FAKE!!!" He shouted, throwing his bag, hitting the girl in the face, and making a dash for a nearby Leo.  
  
"YOU SCUM!!!" Hilde yelled at him angrily.  
  
"COMING THROUGH!!!" He warned, knocking the pilot unconscious and stealing his spacesuit. The people were screaming and the soldiers were trying to get to their suits. "DON'T ANYONE MOVE. . ." Duo ordered, maneuvering the Leo to the escape hatch. "I don't want to start firing this inside the colony. . ."  
  
"I'll get him!" Hilde shouted, running for her own Leo.  
  
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Minutes later, the braided boy screamed as his suit was badly damage.  
  
"Surrender!" A nasally voice ordered, as a face appeared on his view screen, as the OZ Leo fired warning shots.  
  
"You!" Duo shook his head, "Warning shots are worthless from those who have never battled."  
  
"I'm prepared to give my life." Hilde said smugly, "FOR THE PEACE OF THE COLONIES!!!"  
  
Duo blinked, "Hey, wait a minute. . . I'm fighting for the peace of the colonies too. . ."  
  
"What are you begging for your life?"  
  
"I'm telling you, we're not enemies!" Duo insisted as fire from on coming enemy suits began to bombard him.  
  
The girl stared at him, not paying attention to the battle, "What are you- AAHAAHAHHH!" She screamed as Duo pushed her suit aside, taking fire aimed for her.  
  
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?" Hilde shook her head, "When I signed up, I knew what I was getting into. I'm prepared to die for what I believe in."  
  
"You're so intense it makes me sick!" He gagged as shots from the recruit base rendered his suit useless and knocked the braided boy unconscious.  
  
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He was sitting in a chair, his hands cuffed behind his back. He pulled at them, testing the restraints. A sly grin crossed his face as he realized that he could get out of them with no problem. He then opened his eyes and looked up.  
  
That girl was standing in front of him with a gun pointed at his head. "Duo Maxwell. Who'd ever thought that you were a Gundam pilot?"  
  
Duo sighed, "You again?"  
  
"Why did you save me?" She demanded. "I'm prepared to sacrifice my life, I don't need sympathy from my enemies."  
  
"Hilde is it?" He looked up at her. "Tell me, when did the colony become an organization fighting a war?"  
  
"Huh?" she blinked confused.  
  
Duo lowered his gaze from her to the floor, "When the Alliance came from earth to attack the colonies, the smiles disappeared from the people's faces." A sad smile crossed his face, "I've been fighting to give back those smiles they lost." He suddenly became angry, "But Then I come back to space, and Guess what? The people don't want their smiles back! Tell me something, when did the colonies become so twisted?"  
  
Hilde blinked in surprise. She hadn't expected the pilot to be so. . . so. . . noble. "Outer space is effected by wars on earth. . ." she said when she found that her voice had not deserted her, "This is the colonies decision. We cannot be taken over!" She turned the safety off of her weapon.  
  
"You're bravery is commendable." Duo smirked before looking up at her. "So, where are you taking me?"  
  
"You'll be brought to the lunar base detention area. You'll be questioned about the Gundam among other things."  
  
"Oh!" Duo brightened, "Well that'll save me a trip. . ." He looked at her thoughtfully, "You know, I'm planning to blow up the base."  
  
"Yes, I know, and I won't let you." She frowned. "Why don't you think of me as an enemy?"  
  
He flashed her one of his trademark grins, "Hate to say it, but you don't have the skills to be my enemy. It's pretty foolish for someone like you to even try to stand up to me. But you know. . . You remind me of just how reckless I was when I first started to fight on my own."  
  
"Don't patronize me!"  
  
"In fact, we're both foolish. A soldier can be killed at any time. We'll see lots of friends from the colonies die. Let's just live out our lives believing in the path we've chosen. You have to be at least that foolish to make it as a soldier."  
  
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"Did he tell you anything?"  
  
Hilde looked up at her supervisor, "No, not a word."  
  
"Figures. . ." He mumbled.  
  
"Hey, chief. . ." She started thoughtfully, "In the battle back there, couldn't we have fired warning shots?"  
  
"We have orders to destroy rebels when it is necessary."  
  
"Even when it costs your own soldier's lives?"  
  
"OFFICER HILDE!" He snapped. "I regret the actions, but it can't be helped. That is what wars are about. . ."  
  
"Hmmm. . ." She sighed thoughtfully before a large explosion rocked the entire ship.  
  
"What was that?!" Chief exclaimed.  
  
"Duo!" Hilde whispered, making a break for the Mobil suit hanger.  
  
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She had just arrived into the hanger in time to see the braided boy swing the cuffs around before disappear into his damaged Leo. "DUO!" she cried, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"  
  
The boy paused and peered out of the hatch, "Hey-ah!" He grinned, "That was quick! You've got good instincts. . . now I'm about to blow the main hatch, so step back if you don't want to get hurt."  
  
"What?" she asked as she was thrown back by the explosion from the doors.  
  
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Duo flew out of the hanger as fast as the damaged mobil suit was able. Almost immediately, the machine began to waver. Swearing, he looked at a damage report. "Damn, the mass balancer is off line. . . This will get me sea sick. . ." an alarm sounded, "Huh? MOBILE DOLLS!" he exclaimed, firing his weapon at them.  
  
The Dolls encircled and began to rapidly fire at him. One shot hurled him towards the large white sphere. Duo smirked as he looked over at his destination. "Talk about irony, I made it to the moon. . .aaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed as the Leo shuddered under the constant bombardment.  
  
Suddenly, the machines halted in their assault. With a groan, the braided boy opened his eyes. A purple Leo was standing between him and the Dolls. "YOU FOOL!" He shouted as the Dolls aimed for her. "GIVE YOUR CODE TO PROVE YOU'RE AN ALLY!"  
  
"I can't do that." Hilde said with a smile, "There's just no telling who. . . my allies are. I've decided to live out my life, fighting for what I believe in."  
  
"You'll die!"  
  
"I told you, I'm ready to sacrifice my life."  
  
Duo smirked, shaking his head, "Oh, yeah, I remember. But, Hilde. . . if you're going to do it, don't go dying in vain."  
  
"Oh, Duo. . ." she shook her head, "I won't. Now go and do what you want to accomplish."  
  
"Alright, but Hilde. . . Don't go expecting me to rescue you."  
  
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Alarms were sounding everywhere, screaming against the braided boy's intrusion. He had no idea where he was going, so he followed his gut feeling to a hidden hatch. After crashing through it, he was blinded by a bright light. The sounds of cackling caused shivers to run up and down his spine.  
  
"Well, another one." A nasally, but familiar voice laughed.  
  
"That makes four of them." Another voice pondered.  
  
Duo glared in the light, "What the hell are you doing here?"  
  
"OZ captured us and forced us to make new suits." An old geezer with a mushroom hair cut informed the pilot. "We also thought, while we were at it, we might as well create a new upgrade for your Gundams." He pointed behind the braided boy. "Maybe, if you can stay alive, you can pilot one of them."  
  
"When will they be finished?" Duo asked in awe of what he saw. It seemed like a ghost of his Deathscythe.  
  
"One month."  
  
"But you have to decide right now what you're going to do!" The scientist ordered, "We can not have OZ finding this place."  
  
Duo thought about it for a bit longer, before he lowered his weapon and raised his hands in surrender.  
  
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The doors slid open blinding the occupants in the pitch black room. The guards threw in the limp form of a boy, with a long braid. The boy stumbled before tripping and landing face first on the ground. He could barely hear the laughter from the guards as they closed the doors.  
  
Hiiro's eyes widened slightly with recognition, 'Duo. . .'  
  
The boy groaned.  
  
"Botched your mission? You couldn't destroy the base and you didn't kill Dr. J and the others." The Japanese boy said coldly.  
  
"Hey, give me a break would ya?" Duo moaned, "Any way, I'm still glad I came here. . ." He strained to look at Wu Fei, "Your Gundam and mine are being rebuilt as we speak. . .wince. . . I can hardly wait until they're done. . ." He grinned painfully, "Just you wait! I'll become Shinigami once again! But right now. . . I need some sleep."  
  
Hiiro shook his head, a small, faint smile on his face. "Duo. . ." He murmured. The Japanese boy was slightly confused at the sense of relief that flooded him that despite the boy's ragged appearance, he seemed okay. Hiiro crept closer to the boy, kneeling at the braided boy's side.  
  
"Is he okay?" Wu Fei asked.  
  
"He'll live."  
  
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An unknown Gundam lurked in the darkness of space. The pilot stared at his view screen at his target, a defenseless colony, with a dead expression on his face.  
  
"I'll make you pay OZ. . ."  
  
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::Insert scary music::  
  
To be continued. . . 


	13. Chapter twelve part one

Author's notes: ::Takes a deep breath:: Okay, here it is, the dreaded Zero chapter ::scary music plays:: I must say that this is probably thee most  
challenging chapter to write. And I mean of all of my fics!  
I'm soooooo sorry for taking so long to write this! ::begs for  
forgiveness::  
  
I've decided to break this into two chapters. This is part one. I chose to do this because there is a lot of events happening in this section of the  
story;  
and I felt if they were divided it would:  
make writing it easier  
make reading it easier.  
  
Also, I retract what I said about chapter eleven being the longest chapter,  
because this one definitely tops that one. ~-~;; I'm not going to hold myself to a chapter length anymore. I figure that it  
will be however long it is.  
  
After I finish part two, it should be pretty much, smooth sailing, at least  
until we get to the last three chapters. ::more suspenseful scary music  
plays:: Which by the way are completed. Now I just have to finish the  
middle chapters and I'll be all set! ^-^;;;  
  
Also my beta is no longer able to beta my work ::sniffles:: So if anyone is willing and up for the challenge, please email me at weissangel24@yahoo.com  
.  
This hasn't been beta'd yet, so if you would please inform me of any  
mistakes; I'll be more then happy to fix them.  
  
Anyways, several readers have been anxiously awaiting this chapter, and I  
hope I don't disappoint. Please read, and let me know what you think.  
^-^  
  
Arigato!!!  
  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter twelve  
  
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It was gone.  
  
In one fell swoop, he had annihilated the Resource satellite and all of its inhabitants. He had not heard their cries of fear or pleas of mercy. He had not felt the hundred of thousands of pinpricks on his heart; one for each soul lost.  
  
He felt nothing.  
  
He didn't feel any sense of guilt, or regret. He did not feel any sense of sorrow. He was dead to the universe.  
  
He felt nothing at all.  
  
Something in his mind told him that this was not to be the end. That he had to destroy more if he were to irradiate OZ forever. 'Yes. . .' he thought to himself. 'OZ must be wiped from outer space. . .'  
  
He left in search of a new target.  
  
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"Are you saying I'm too lenient, Tuberov?" Colonel Une demanded coldly.  
  
The older man shifted uncomfortably, "Not at all. I'm just saying that it's dangerous to keep those kids alive, especially when we have the Mobil Dolls."  
  
"Those that pilot the Gundams still have a great deal of value." Une explained as she typed at the computer console. Different images and bits of data sprang up on the screen. "The pilot of 01 has already mastered the Mercurius. I hate to admit it, but no OZ soldiers have skill that exceed his." She smirked at him, "I sent some of your precious Dolls with the Vayeate and Mercurius on a mission to apprehend Zechs Marquis."  
  
"Oh?"  
  
"01 destroyed all of them while fighting Zechs." She sneered. "I don't think your Dolls are so mighty if a child can defeat them without focusing completely on them."  
  
Tuberov growled low in his throat, "What are you saying, Colonel?"  
  
"Jealous?" She quirked an eyebrow at him, "That's not something you should be too proud of."  
  
//Colonel Une!// an officer's urgent voice broke over the radio. //A resource satellite at point 7E1 has disappeared!//  
  
"Is it an enemy?"  
  
//Yes! It's a new Gundam!//  
  
"A new Gundam!?"  
  
"How do they know it was a Gundam?" Tuberov demanded.  
  
//These images were taken just before the attack.// the officer replied, transmitting the images.  
  
"Send these to the engineers in detention block D." Une ordered, "See what they think."  
  
//One more thing, Colonel.// the officer said, //These images were transmitted from the Gundam. They're believed to be blueprints of 04.//  
  
"He meant this as a declaration of war. . ." Tuberov murmured.  
  
"I'm going to Barge." Colonel Une announced, "Follow my orders, send these to the Engineers. Let me know what they say."  
  
//Ma'am!//  
  
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The banged boy tossed and turned in restless slumber. A nightmare of intense imagery plagued him.  
  
Many people were screaming in terror and pain. They were running for their lives, but had no place to flee too. . . there was so much death and carnage. . .  
  
Trowa bolted awake. "Quatre. . ." He whispered into the darkness of his quarters, as sweat dripped down his face. His emerald eyes were wide, and his breath raced with his heartbeat. His body, it wouldn't stop shaking. "Are you sending this out, Quatre? Is this what you're feeling?" He buried his head into his hands, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "What's happened to you?"  
  
A beep alerted the banged boy to an incoming transmission. Trowa stared at the blank communications screen while it beeped a second and third time. Finally, he answered it. Lady Une's face appeared. "Lady?"  
  
//I apologize for disturbing you, Mr. Barton.// she said kindly, //But there is a situation of which I'd like you to look into. . .//  
  
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"Are you planning to get out of here?" Wu Fei asked.  
  
"No." Hiiro said after a moment of thought.  
  
"Why not?" The Chinese boy hissed, "You want to remain an OZ prisoner for the rest of your life?"  
  
"Iie." The stoic pilot glanced down at where Duo was curled into a ball, sleeping. The braided boy moaned in slight pain and discomfort as he stirred. A faint smile crossed Hiiro's face. "Four out of the five of us are here. The engineers are all here and Colonel Une is behaving strangely. I think it would be best if we remain here. . . at least for the time being."  
  
"Strangely?" Wu Fei frowned, "She's an insane OZ colonel, how strange can she act?"  
  
"She protected us."  
  
"NANI!?"  
  
"And I'm pretty sure that at least some part of her knows who Trowa is."  
  
"An ex-pilot and a traitor. . ." Duo grumbled, as he painfully woke up, "He's the one that blew up Deathscythe." There was no mistaking the bitter malice in the usually cheerful boy's voice.  
  
"Duo. . ." Hiiro warned, "I explained that to you."  
  
"Yeah. . . I know. . ." The braided boy grimaced as he tried to sit up, "So how long are we going to be here anyways?"  
  
"Until I know what's going on."  
"And what if they decide to execute us?"  
  
"They can try." Wu Fei smirked, "Besides, we can't leave without our Gundams."  
  
The conversation was abruptly cut off as the cell door slid open and the three prisoners were blinded by the sudden flood of light. As their visions cleared, they recognized the tall banged boy. Duo glared at him.  
  
Trowa wore an impassive mask, but his eyes. . . there was a turmoil of emotion raging in them. Hiiro frowned thoughtfully.  
  
"01 out."  
  
"Why him again?" the braided boy whined, "I'm a much better pilot than 01."  
  
"You can't fight in your condition." Trowa scoffed, as he walked into the room, stopping just in front of Hiiro. "Even a Gundam pilot has a chance at being killed in this mission, because it's a Gundam pilot you'll be fighting."  
  
Three pairs of eyes went wide at that bit of news and one name crossed everyone's mind.  
  
Duo shook his head, "N. . . Nani!?'  
  
"Apparently, it's a new Gundam."  
  
"What are its characteristics and weapons?" Hiiro asked, standing.  
  
"You can't be serious!"  
  
"The engineers asked the same questions; that proves that you are familiar with them." Trowa commented, ignoring the braided boy's protests.  
  
"All right." Hiiro agreed, "let's go."  
  
"DON'T DO IT, 01!" Duo leapt to his feet, ignoring the pain it caused, "IT'S PROBABLY A SUIT PERFORMANCE TEST OR SUMTHING!" The American seemed to wilt slightly as Hiiro glared at him.  
  
Trowa also glared, and suddenly rammed his fist into the boy's stomach. "Just be quiet there." He said coldly, retracting his fist. "You'll have your chance eventually."  
  
Duo gagged and fell to his knees, doubled over. Wu Fei stepped up beside him as the cell door slid shut, once again closing them in darkness. "Uh, I don't think that guy was acting. . ." he frowned.  
  
The braided boy grinned, painfully. "That is one guy we can trust. . ."  
  
"What!?" The Chinese boy frowned, "But you just got done saying. . . What makes you so sure?"  
  
"'Cause. . ." The boy sat back on his heels. Something fell into his hand cuffed hands. Suddenly, a light illuminated the wall in front of Wu Fei. "No traitor is going to give us a gift with so much thought put into it."  
  
//Duo Maxwell and Wu Fei Chang. . .// Trowa's voice played from a recording, //These are plans to the upgraded Deathscythe and Shenlong, given to me by Master O. Use them to pass the time.//  
  
"Son-of-a-gun. . ."  
  
"Right?" Duo grinned towards the flabbergasted boy.  
  
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"What is this?" Hiiro asked, as he and Trowa leapt from an OZ shuttle to a contraption, which held the Vayeate and the Mercurius. .  
"It's the Transport Unit for these two suits." The banged boy replied over the radio in their space helmets. "We're to go to ahead of the task force to point EL8. The Gundam's pilot said he was going to destroy a colony in that area."  
  
"Trowa?" Hiiro asked once they were alone.  
  
He hadn't asked a direct question, he let his tone do that; but still, the banged boy knew what the stoic pilot wanted to know and against his better judgment, Trowa found himself answering. "Something's happened to Quatre."  
  
"Explain."  
  
"I don't know if I can. . ." The banged boy scowled, "It's like. . . I can feel him. . . and he's in pain. . ."  
  
Hiiro was silent for a moment before commenting, "Do you believe that the pilot of this new Gundam is Quatre?"  
  
"I do." Trowa said with absolute certainty. "Hiiro, with these two suits, and Duo and Wu Fei's upgraded Gundams and this new Gundam; we should have the necessary power to defeat OZ."  
  
"Trowa, you're making assumptions." Hiiro said flatly. "Assumptions lead to mistakes that could get you killed."  
  
"Is something the matter?"  
  
"Something just doesn't sit right. . ." Hiiro answered, "If the suit is powerful, and the pilot is our allie, then we may have the necessary power as you say."  
  
"But?"  
  
"But if this Gundam lacks power, or the pilot is our enemy, we may be forced to fight, and we may end up destroying it. It would be more advantageous for you to keep yourself hidden in OZ until you can defeat Treize."  
  
Trowa snorted softly, "So you knew all along-huh?" Hiiro didn't reply. "Anyway, if it is Quatre, then we'll have nothing to worry about."  
  
"Just be careful."  
  
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"Hey, Wu Fei. . ." Duo called.  
  
"What, Maxwell?"  
  
"Do you think this is what Hiiro was waiting for?"  
  
"I don't know."  
  
"With this ne Gundam, we should be able to kick OZ's ass easily!"  
  
"I have no intention on relying on an unconfirmed Gundam as an ally."  
  
They sat in dark silence for a while.  
  
"Hey, Wu Fei. . . Truth or Dare?"  
  
"You can't be serious." His voice dripped with contempt.  
  
"I'm Bored!" Duo complained, "And we can't exactly play 'I spy', it's too dark."  
  
"You could play the 'Silent Game'." The Chinese boy said sarcastically.  
  
"Naw, that's no fun," Duo declined, pointedly ignoring the other boy's malice, "Besides, you'd win - no competition." He knelt in front of the glaring boy, "Puh-lease! Please, please?"  
  
"Will you leave me alone after wards?"  
  
"You'll forget that I'm here." Duo promised.  
  
Wu Fei groaned, "Fine. . ."  
  
"YEY!" The boy grinned and hopped back to his corner of the cell, "So, Truth or Dare?"  
  
"Dare." The boy sighed, defeated.  
  
"Dare!" Duo frowned, "How do you expect to pull off a Dare in here?"  
  
"It's your stupid game, Maxwell!" Wu Fei snapped back, "You should have thought about that!"  
  
"Jeeze, I didn't expect you to actually pick that one!" Duo retorted.  
  
"Whatever!" Wu Fei shouted, "Truth, Okay!"  
  
Duo grinned and the Chinese boy immediately regretted it. There was a question that the braided idiot had asked on several occasions, which Wu Fei had always managed evade.  
  
"Why do call your Gundam Nataku if its name is Shenlong?"  
  
Trapped.  
  
Wu Fei took in a slow breath, "That's personal, Maxwell. . ." He said sadly, "I'd rather not."  
  
Duo didn't comment, he just looked at the boy expectedly.  
  
The Chinese boy sighed again, "I was once married." He began. Duo's jaw dropped, but he refrained from talking. Wu Fei continued, "She was a strong woman. Nataku was what she called herself. Long story short, she died protecting Shenlong and a meadow where I liked to read. Since then, I fight with and for Nataku . . ."  
  
"I had no idea. . ." Duo said after a moment.  
  
Wu Fei eyed the braided boy suspiciously, "No jokes?"  
  
"Why would I?" Duo looked hurt, "I'm not all fun and games you know . . .It was very important and personal to you."  
  
"It doesn't leave this room."  
  
"My lips are sealed." The boy grinned.  
  
"That would be hard to believe."  
  
"Shut-up!"  
  
"Your turn." Wu Fei said, "What is your most embarrassing habit that you would not want Hiiro finding out about?"  
  
"Why would you ask that?" Duo asked nervously.  
  
"You wanted to play the game."  
  
The braided boy made a face, shaking his head. "Like I care what Hiiro thinks."  
  
"Give me a break! I can see the way you look at him!" Wu Fei sneered, "Now fess up!"  
  
Duo pouted, "Alright, but this doesn't leave the room."  
  
"Just tell me." Wu Fei pressed, not promising anything.  
  
Duo took a deep breath, "Okay, I-."  
  
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It was disgusting to him. Revolting. An eyesore that needed to be dealt with.  
  
And that is what he planned to do.  
  
He had issued an evacuation warning, but the colony ignored it. Instead, it fired upon him. "You're scared. . . aren't you. . ." The boy asked in a dead, emotionless tone. 'I can't feel it. . . yet. . . I know it is so. . .' He glared as the colony continued to fire upon him. 'Idiots.' He scoffed, 'That won't stop me. . . It's hopeless for you. Don't you see?' "YOU SHOULDN'T BE FIGHTING AT ALL!" He grit his teeth and fired upon the colony.  
  
The blonde felt no remorse for his actions; and yet. . . there were tears in his eyes. They fell from his face and floated around in the zero gravity of space. He watched them in confusion, "Strange. . ." He murmured, "It seems that there are tears in my eyes, yet I'm not one bit sad. . ." ~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Inside the Vayeate, Trowa screamed. His chest felt as if it were being torn apart. 'Quatre?' He thought desperately, 'Quatre what's the matter? What's causing you to shed such tears?' He struggled to regain his apathetic mask, but it hurt too much. 'Quatre. . . please. . .'  
  
A message bleep caught his attention. He took a deep breath, so that he at least appeared calm. 'If it's Hiiro, then I'm screwed. He'll know something is up. . .' "Trowa Barton." He announced, opening the communication channel.  
  
It was Lady Une.  
  
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Hiiro woke to see Trowa's face on his screen. //You're awake.//  
  
The Japanese boy scowled. 'Of course I'm awake, you just woke me up. . .' Aloud he asked, "Are we there already? That was quick."  
  
"Our destination just changed. We were too late to save that colony." There was a lack of emotion in the banged boy's voice.  
  
"Was it him?"  
  
Trowa winced slightly, "Yeah. He said he was going to destroy a colony in this area next. We'll abandon the carrier. It's too obvious." He was quiet for a moment, before continuing, "We'll head in on these two suits and the rest will back us up. . . but this is Quatre were up against, so there shouldn't be any problem."  
  
"Trowa. . ." Hiiro warned, "Just be careful, something doesn't feel right."  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"Don't forget. He just destroyed a colony."  
  
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Chief Engineer Tuberov sauntered into the control room, very pleased with himself for what he was about to do. 'Une doesn't want to accept my genius, that's fine with me. But I'm not going to tolerate any snot-nosed kid taking the glory that is rightfully mine!'  
  
OZ lt. Ty Browning frowned slightly at the approaching man, before greeting him. "Chief Engineer, can I help you with something?"  
  
The older man smirked smugly. It was everything Ty could do not to visibly shudder and/or vomit. "Yes, where is the oxygen control for the detention blocks?"  
  
Ty openly frowned on that, "They're right here." He said pointing to a console, "Why?" Tuberov chuckled slightly as he closed off the air supply. The lt.'s eyes widened, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING!?"  
  
"Cutting off the air supply to the prisons."  
  
"Did these orders come from Colonel Une?"  
  
"No, I'm giving out these orders."  
  
"But. . ." Ty's protests were silenced as the young man was faced with guns aimed at him, ". . .uh. . ."  
  
"Don't worry, you're just following orders. . ." Tuberov sneered, noticing how pale the lt. had become.  
  
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Duo's eyebrow twitched as Wu Fei broke out in another snickering fit. "It's not that funny, Wu Fei. . ." The braided boy sulked.  
  
The Chinese boy looked up from the schematics he was studying. "Are you kidding? It's the funniest thing I've ever heard." He smirked.  
  
Duo glared, "Okay, Who are you and what'd ja do with Wu Fei?"  
  
"What are you talking about, Maxwell?"  
  
"I've never seen or heard you laugh. Never. No matter how hard I tried. And now you can't stop." He frowned slightly, "Now that I think about it. . . it's more creepy then Hiiro having a giggle fit."  
  
"Yui laughs?" Wu Fei asked skeptically.  
  
"Uh. . . not that I've seen." Duo shook his head. "But somehow. . . You just come across as more serious."  
  
Wu Fei didn't respond, but rather pondered the braided boy's thinking for a moment. "Duo. . . how does Hiiro respond to your pranks?"  
  
"He usually either ignores me, threatens to kill me, or threatens to kill me and then ignores me. . . Why?" He paused, his nose scrunching up, "Did you just call me Duo?"  
  
"And me?"  
  
"You grab your sword and chase me around, ranting 'bout injustice and how I'll pay."  
  
"Is that all?"  
  
The braided boy glared, "No, on occasion, you manage to pull a payback prank or shove me in the closet for six hours."  
  
The Chinese boy smirked, "And you still think that I'm more serious?"  
  
"Yeah, I do." Duo grumbled, "I'm not talking about more then just how you react to me; I'm talking in general."  
  
"Hmn. . . and what about you?" Wu Fei twisted the conversation around, "You're like a never non-stop goof-off."  
  
"That's not true!" Duo snapped, his violet eyes flashing. "I never goof-off in battle, or when it's really serious! I can be really serious too! Maybe even more so then Hiiro!"  
  
Wu Fei grinned, "Just like I'm not serious all the time?"  
  
"Yeah!" Duo agreed sharply, "Uh. . . Wait. . ." He scowled, pondering exactly what he had agreed to. "Yeah, I guess so. . ."  
  
They sat in silence for several minutes. Then the braided boy tilted his head slightly and stood up. "Hey, Wu Fei. . ."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"Something's wrong. . ."  
  
Wu Fei also stood up, a deep frown etched onto his serious face. "They cut off our air supply. . ."  
  
"Shit. . ."  
  
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He looked at the Ferris wheel in a daze. His mind couldn't comprehend what the colony was doing with things such as this or the playground that he had previously crushed. "The colony has no use for this. . ." he frowned confused, "No use at all. . ."  
  
Movement caught the corner of the deranged boy's eye. He glared hatefully at the three OZ suits that were trying to stop him. "What this colony really needs is a WAR!" He shouted, opening fire and quickly destroying them.  
  
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A sharp pain pierced through the banged boy's chest, causing him to gasp. 'Quatre. . .' His thoughts raced, 'You're so sad. . . but you can't cry. . . not for real. . .can you? Let me . . . help you. . .'  
  
//Sir, the three suits inside the colony have been destroyed!// a subordinate reported, //The Gundam's coming out!//  
  
"Open fire!" Trowa ordered. He intently watched his screens, 'Go ahead, Quatre, show me what that suit can do. . .'  
  
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It was all too easy. . . How he destroyed them. They hardly knew what hit them. All too soon, they were all gone.  
  
'No,' his mind warned him, 'Two suits remain. . .these are the source of the threat, they are dangerous. . . you must destroy them. . .'  
  
//Quatre! This is Trowa!//  
  
The voice over the radio almost sounded joyful, however, it rose no response from the crazed boy. 'Trowa?' He pondered, slightly confused, 'Do I know Trowa?' He thought about that, 'Yes,' His mind supplied, 'I do know Trowa. . . He betrayed me . . .'  
  
// Can you hear me, Quatre?//  
  
"I can. . . hear you. . . Trowa." There was an unsteadiness in his usually calm voice. "Don't. . . come. . . any closer, Trowa."  
  
The Vayeate kept approaching.  
  
"What did I just say?" The boy demanded agitatedly. "DON'T GET ANY CLOSER TO ME!"  
  
The Gundam aimed and fired.  
  
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Trowa only had a split second before his suit was hurled back with the force of the Gundam's weapon. The gundanium of his own suit became hot and quickly disintegrated.  
  
It took him a few moments to realize that he was still alive, and another few moments to realize that Quatre. . . His sweet, loving, kind Quatre had fired on him. "Hey, Quatre. . ." He called out confused, groaning slightly in pain, "What's going on here?"  
  
//Trowa. . . Outer space has gone crazy. . . I'm gonna use this Gundam to destroy it all. . .// He sounded very disturbed. // I have no choice but to destroy all the weapons that have accumulated out here.//  
  
Trowa shook his head in denial as he listened to the deranged boy. His face was an open mask of concern.  
  
//The colonies are becoming armed-right?// the boy's voice grew more urgent, // That's why the colonies must be destroyed!//  
  
"What's the matter? Quatre!" Trowa begged, grimacing in pain. "This isn't like the Quatre I know!"  
  
//Tell the others for me. . .// The blonde whispered, //Tell them to stay away from me. . . otherwise. . . I'll end up killing them!// The Gundam's proximity alarm sounded, startling the crazed boy. With wild panic, Quatre aimed his beam cannon at the approaching Mercurius.  
  
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Hiiro had watched as the Vayeate was attacked, and he hissed in horror at the damage that resulted. "I warned him. . ." he muttered to himself, before sending the Mercurius in, to attack his crazed friend.  
  
//I'M TELLING YOU NOT TO GET ANY CLOSER!// Quatre's voice was shrill and near hysterics as the Gundam's beam cannon fired.  
  
Hiiro easily dodged. "IS THAT ALL YOU'VE GOT TO SAY!?" He challenged, "If everything has gone crazy; then I'll believe in myself and keep fighting." His face became a cold mask. "Quatre, Omeo Koruso."  
  
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To Be continued. . . 


	14. Chapter twelve part two

Author's notes: Okay, here is the rest of chapter 12  
::scary music plays::  
Hope you enjoy. This hasn't been beta'd yet, so if you find mistakes, please let me know  
about them and I'll fix them.  
  
Arigato!  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter twelve B  
  
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"Damn it!" Duo swore, kicking and pounding on the cell door. "What a dinky way of killing us off -." He broke into a coughing fit that left him gasping for breath.  
  
"Stay calm if you want to live longer." Wu Fei advised, glancing away from the schematics.  
  
"Eh, what's the point of studying those? It's hopeless. It'll take something pretty drastic to get us out of this." He sighed, "Man, I wish I could have gone with Hiiro. . ."  
  
Wu Fei quirked an eyebrow towards the boy, "I'm doing everything I can in case that something drastic does happen."  
  
"Wu Fei. . ." Duo glared.  
  
"Hn?"  
  
The boy sighed, "Sorry, but I'm throwing in the towel. . ." He flopped onto his back and rolled onto his side, "This is such a lame way to die!" He complained, "This is so NOT COOL!"  
  
"Here." Wu Fei held out the image projector, "Try not to think about it."  
  
"Hmn. . ." Duo frowned, "How can I not?"  
  
"By distracting your mind."  
  
"What about you?" Duo asked accepting the projector.  
  
Wu Fei smiled, "I'll figure something out."  
  
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Hiiro attacked again and again. Each time receiving more damage than dishing out. His defenses were weakening. 'The shield won't hold out much longer. . .' he realized, 'But I have to get him away from that beam cannon. . .' He glared with determination, 'If I can do that, then we can stop him. . .'  
  
Suddenly, the new Gundam stopped fighting. //Hiiro. . .// Quatre's quiet voice came across the radio, //Why are we fighting each other? The colonies have teamed up with OZ. . . They're my enemies now. . .// His voice became urgent, //Trowa! Hiiro! The colonies are your enemies now too! Outer Space has lost all reason-That's why I'm gonna destroy everything!// He faltered, sounding again like a lost child, //That's natural. . . isn't it?// Hiiro growled low in his throat and sent Mercurius into another attack. The new Gundam warded him off just as easily as before.  
  
"UH-AH!" the Perfect Soldier gasped as the beam cannon fired, making a direct hit on his red suit.  
  
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Inside the white gundam's cockpit, Quatre shook his head sadly, "You'll die, Hiiro. . .I don't want to defeat people who are my allies. . . Please, Hiiro! Get away from here!" The blonde cried desperately, "HEY! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME?!"  
  
Hiiro sighed, //Quatre. . .// He began, his voice stern, //I'm not leaving. There's a colony that needs to be defended.// And he placed Mercurius between the colony and the crazed boy.  
  
A cold hard look crossed Quatre's face as he fired that beam cannon again. The force driving the red suit into the colony's wall and into the interior.  
  
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Hiiro groaned ant took off his space helmet. Blood dripped down the side of his face. Agitatedly, he wiped it away. "Damn it. . ." He hissed under his breath.  
  
The white suit filled his monitors. That damned beam cannon was aimed directly at him and the colony.  
  
//Hiiro!// Quatre cried, //I can't stand that colony any longer!//  
  
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Colonel Une drummed her fingers impatiently as she studied Barge's read outs.  
  
"We still have received no communications from Trowa Barton's Vayeate, and the Leo's that were fighting the Gundam have been destroyed." A corporal reported. "It's possible that they have all been destroyed."  
  
Une smirked, "Is the colony still there?"  
  
"So far it's been spared any serious damage."  
  
"Then that means the battle is still going on." She glared at the monitor, 'they will defend that colony until the end because that is what righteous Gundam pilots would do. I just hope they can stop this new Gundam.'  
  
"Colonel, I still haven't received the report from the lunar base."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"They're refusing to respond to our hails."  
  
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"Chief Tubarov?" Ty began, hesitatedly, "Barge is ordering that we reconnect communications. . ."  
  
The older man chuckled wickedly, "Never mind them. We must concentrate on producing the Mobil Dolls, as Duke Dermail has ordered."  
  
"But sir. . ." Ty started.  
  
"Just ignore it." Tubarov advised.  
  
"Yes, Sir." Ty sighed, his head bowed in defeat.  
  
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"So what do you make of this new suit?" Dr. J asked.  
  
"I'm positive that it is Quatre in the Wing Zero." Instructor H. gloated. "Your boy, Hiiro, is fighting him now, J. . . Who do you think will win?"  
  
"Hiiro." The Doctor replied without hesitation. "He'll never quit as long as a mission goes unfinished."  
  
"Ah, but you have yet to see the beauty of my Gundam." H sneered, "It will take Quatre's empathy and turn it into a valuable weapon. He will be unstoppable."  
  
"I still can't believe you went and did something as foolish as constructing that abomination." G. glared from underneath his mushroom style hair. "What were you trying to do? Play God?"  
  
"You old farts don't know genius when it stares you in the face." H. sulked, "You'll see! Both Quatre and The Wing Zero will be crucial in winning this horrid war!"  
  
"That may all be well and good." Dr. O interrupted in his deep voice, "But we have more important issues at hand."  
  
"Oh?" Dr. J raised an eyebrow, before breaking into a coughing fit.  
  
"Great, he's getting sick." H frowned, moving away from the old man.  
  
"That's not it, Fool!" G. snapped, "They've cut off our air supply!"  
  
"I estimate, maybe twenty minutes left. . ." S announced, "That is if you two can manage to stop your incisive bickering."  
  
J sighed, "My only regret is that we weren't able to finish the upgrades of the Deathscythe and Shenlong. . ."  
  
"If you're going to give up; then hurry up and die!" G. barked, "You're wasting air."  
  
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"You know. . ." Duo gasped out, "My Deathscythe is pretty cool. . ."  
  
There was no response.  
  
Sluggishly, the braided boy turned to look at his Chinese friend. Wu Fei was lying prone on the floor. His eyes were closed, and he didn't appear to be breathing.  
  
"Wu Fei?" Duo called, a slight note of fear in his voice, "What are you dead already?" He strained to crawl over to the boy. "Wu Fei?" He blinked several times. His head was getting fuzzy. . . 'Not a good sign. . .' He nudged the boy's shoulder. He felt warm to the touch. "Amazing!" Duo whispered hoarsely as he realized what Wu Fei had done, "He's in a state of suspended animation. . ." the braided boy smiled in admiration. "Even in the end, he refuses to give up. . .Stubborn jerk!" He coughed violently, before rolling onto his back.  
  
His body, it wouldn't stop shaking. . . "Who'd blame ya though? Who'd want to die like this?" He babbled. He turned on the projector, and smiled weakly at it. "I can't wait to pilot the. . .the new. . ." He shook his head, trying to clear it, "The Gundams. . . the Gundams. . ." He gasped, straining for each breath.  
  
Finally, the braided boy's eyes slid closed and he went limp against the hard cold floor. The light from the projector going out, leaving them in total darkness.  
  
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It was a struggle to get Mercurius to respond to his commands; but eventually, he managed to reach the gap in the colony that led to open space.  
  
The white Gundam was waiting for him.  
  
//I'd ask you to get out of your mobile suit, but you won't- will you?// He sighed, //In that case, I'm gonna have to kill you. . .//  
  
"Then get it over with!" Hiiro glared, "I have no intention of chit- chatting with the enemy."  
  
//Well, that's it then.// Quatre said matter-of-factly, //Good bye, Hiiro.//  
  
And the beam cannon fired a final time.  
  
Hiiro knew that he would be destroyed. It was inevitable with the damage that he had sustained. It was a soldier's life and he was prepared for the death that awaited him.  
  
But it never came.  
  
//QUATRE!// Trowa shouted, as he appeared from nowhere and took the shot, //Why don't you realize what a big mistake you're making? QUATRE!//  
  
//TROWA!// Quatre's surprised voice cried.  
  
//This battle isn't necessary!// The banged boy grimaced against the cackling of melted electrical systems.  
  
Hiiro wasted no time. His enemy was distracted. Seizing the opportunity, He grabbed the Vayeate's weapon and fired. The new Gundam's gun went flying off into the vastness of space. The blonde was too stunned to notice.  
  
Hiiro's attention turned to the damaged Mobil suit, "Trowa!" He cried, "Get out now! The Vayeate's about to explode!"  
  
//You're right.// Trowa replied sadly, calmly. //This is the end for me. . .//  
  
Hiiro's eyes widened in realization of what his friend was saying, 'No. . . Trowa. . .'  
  
Quatre realized it too. //TROWA!// he cried as the banged pilot sent his suit away from the other suits. Desperately, he tried to follow, but the Mercurius kept getting in his way. //NO!// He cried out again and again, //NOOOO!//  
  
The red suit had grabbed a hold of the White suit and sent them spiraling towards the colony. //NO! Hiiro! Save Trowa!// With a tremendous crash, they broke through the outer walls and into the interior of the colony. //TROWA!//  
  
//Oh, Quatre. . .// Trowa's calm voice implored, //It doesn't matter how it happened, but the colonies have teamed up with OZ. And we have to keep in mind that it does mark the end of a war. . . At the same time, it means that our missions have come to an end.//  
  
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He smiled gently. He could feel Quatre's confusion and the depth of his sorrow. "From our point of view, it's disappointing that the colonies we've been fighting for have changed their perspectives. That's what happens in wars. We've got no choice, but to accept it. The only question left is what happens to the remaining soldiers? What happens with in our hearts? With us Gundam Pilots, were completely trained to be soldiers before we even realized it."  
  
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Quatre took off his helmet, quietly listening to his friend. . . his love. . .Taking in what he was saying, and the deeper meaning of those words.  
  
//When you put everything into a battle, you start to believe that you can change the times all by yourself. . . Don't you?. . . But, Quatre. . . You're not the only one who feels that way. . . we all do. But the kinder you are, the bigger the toll it takes on you. . . We have to fight with ourselves; within our hearts. And we have to do it harshly, in order to come to the right conclusions. . . Even if it means our battles today are meaningless. . . We have to acknowledge the facts. . . The five of us have become nothing more than redundant soldiers, Quatre. . .//  
  
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He sighed sadly. It wouldn't be much longer. Vayeate was coming apart at the seams. "So now, let's accept it. . . turn back into the nice guy I once knew. . ."  
  
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"T-Trowa. . ." the name came out a soft whisper. For the first time, in a long time, the blonde had tears in his eyes; though they did not fall.  
  
//I just hope that something triggers your mind, and calms you down. . . something. . .//  
  
"TROWA!" Quatre screamed as the Vayeate exploded, "TROWA!" He tried to go after him, but the red suit slammed into him. "HIIRO!" Quatre pleaded, "LET ME GO! TROWA'S GONNA DIE!"  
  
//Yeah. . .// Hiiro's pained voice said evenly, //And you're the guy who killed him.//  
  
"Hiiro. . ." Quatre pleaded.  
  
Mercurius attacked with its saber. Wing barely reacted in time to block.  
  
//You've gone crazy! And I'm gonna kill you!// the perfect soldier promised.  
  
"Well hurry up and kill me!" Quatre demanded, desperately, "Then you can go rescue Trowa!"  
  
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Hiiro glared. Blood was oozing down his cheek, "Pretty half-hearted way to go around fighting. . ." he grimaced slightly, "I guess Trowa's death was just a waste!"  
  
There was too much strain on the red suit, given the damage it had previously received. An energy surge threw Mercurius back, tossing Hiiro like a rag doll against his restraints. Groaning, the Japanese boy tried to get up, "Quatre. . . I am. . . going to. . . kill you. . . uh-ah. . ."  
  
//Hiiro?// Quatre called, // HIIRO!//  
  
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In the emptiness of space, a stray thought drifted around. 'Don't be to hard on Quatre, Hiiro. . .'  
  
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Lady Une frowned as she opened the air ducts to the prisons. "I hope I'm not to late!"  
  
"Even if you aren't, we'll be executing them anyway." A nasally voice sneered. The sound of the safety being removed from a pistol confirmed what she already knew.  
  
She was going to die.  
  
"You want to shoot me? Go ahead! I am prepared to die." She smirked, "But before you do, I'll complete what I set out to do."  
  
Tubarov fired just as her hand pressed the release to the prison doors. "To bad. You were to lenient." He said smugly.  
  
Lady Une smiled calmly as the bullet pierced her heart, 'As a soldier, yes; but as a civilian, I lived an austere life.'  
  
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A flood of life giving air filled the room, reviving Duo and Wu Fei. The boys breathed the air hungrily, before looking at the other. Each had an expression of pure smugness. The door was wide open, and OZ was about to receive a serious Ass-whooping.  
  
Several minutes and fifteen dead guards later, they reached their partially completed Gundams.  
  
"Is this what you meant about something pretty drastic?" Duo asked, as he started the systems in the cockpit of his new and improved Deathscythe Hell.  
  
"Whatever works." Wu Fei grinned.  
  
Duo swung his scythe around, testing it. "Our suits are about 80% complete, should we make our escape?"  
  
"AFTER we pay them back- Eh?" The Chinese boy smirked, twirling his double end trident. "Nataku has to make a comeback!"  
  
"You're Altron is pretty cool." Duo agreed, flying into a swarm of Mobil Dolls, "We should reintroduce ourselves!"  
  
Wu Fei stretched out his dragon claws, taking out two enemies while his Vulcan guns took out a third. "Believe us, the pleasure is all ours!"  
  
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Quatre gently cradled Hiiro's unconscious form. He pressed a compress against the boy's bleeding head. "I'm so sorry. . ." He whispered, looking off in the direction where the Vayeate had last been seen, "I'm so sorry. . ."  
  
Yet the tears did not fall.  
  
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To Be continued. . .  
Author's notes:  
Yey!!! I finished the cursed chapter!  
::does happy dance::  
I hope it was okay with everyone. . .  
::bites nails nervously::  
Please let me know what you think!  
^-^  
As I've said before, after this should be smooth sailing. I do however want to remind all of you that this is AU. I know it hasn't seemed like it  
up till now, but believe me that will change.  
  
Arigato for reading, Minna!  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24 


	15. Chapter thirteen

Author's notes: Gomen ne! I am so sorry for taking so long with these chapters!  
Honestly, It's not from a lack of working on them. . .  
::begs for forgiveness::  
  
Anyways, Same old, same old. This hasn't been beta'd.  
Anybody sees mistakes, please let me know and I'll fix them.  
  
Arigato.  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter thirteen  
  
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They were easily apprehended, Hiiro being barely conscious and Quatre being to emotionally drained to care. They didn't even try to put up a fight, yet that didn't stop the OZ soldiers from treating them harshly.  
  
Quatre's guard was especially abusive to the lithe blonde. The husky soldier was in his late thirties. He had dark hair and beady eyes. His breath smelled of alcohol. His temper was short and he took it out on the restrained boy.  
  
"Hurry up!" He ordered, shoving the blonde with the end of his rifle. The teenager stumbled and tripped. Unable to stop himself, he landed roughly on the floor. When he didn't move to pick himself up, the soldier kicked him in the gut, "Get up!" He demanded.  
  
Quatre wouldn't move. . . or he couldn't.  
  
The guard kicked him again, harder, repeating the order.  
  
A soft, strangled cry escaped the boy's throat, as he curled in on himself for meager protection.  
  
"GET UP!" The soldier bellowed, reaching down and yanking the boy to his feet by his hair. "WHEN I SAY TO GET UP- THAT'S WHAT I EXPECT!" He screamed.  
  
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The soft cry reached the Japanese pilot's ears, bringing him to a higher awareness. Through his hazy vision, Hiiro could see that Quatre was in trouble.  
  
The guard was backhanding him repeatedly, yelling at him.  
  
The blonde in turn was trembling. His lips were moving, trying to say something, but his voice wasn't cooperating. His eyes. . .  
  
Hiiro frowned.  
  
The blonde's eyes lacked the usual life that depicted him as an individual. They seemed dead.  
  
'He's given up. . .' The Gundam pilot realized, "Quatre. . ." His voice hoarse and weak.  
  
"Shut UP!" the husky guard demanded, before turning back to the blonde. He threw the boy down. "What?" He jeered, "You're not so mighty without your Gundam-are ya?"  
  
Quatre didn't respond, he just stared into nothingness.  
  
"Quatre. . ." Hiiro called, his voice a little stronger.  
  
The solder stood towering above the frail teenager. He pointed his gun at the blonde's head, "My orders were to bring you alive." He announced, "However, I have no problem with disobeying orders."  
  
The blonde looked up at him, his lips still mouthing whatever his voice wasn't allowing him to say. There were tears in his eyes, but they would not fall.  
  
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The guard shifted his weight, moving just enough for Hiiro to make out the blonde's beaten face. The Perfect Soldier couldn't hear what the boy was saying, but he was able to read his bleeding lips.  
  
'Trowa. . . I'm so sorry, Trowa. . .'  
  
"Quat. . ." Hiiro whispered. Whatever malice he held for his deranged friend melted away. . . After all, Quatre was still his friend, and his friend needed help. 'Besides,' His soldier's mind supplied, 'In his present state of mind, he is no longer a threat. If he's not a threat, he doesn't need to die.'  
  
The Perfect Soldier adapted his 'Mission Accepted' mask, and prepared to take whatever action was necessary to protect that boy.  
  
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His guards, being young soldiers, didn't realize the danger they were in. . . Poor them.  
  
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Hiiro frowned at the dead guards that surrounded him and the blonde pilot. They were foolish to think that they could stop him. Foolish people die. With a low growl of disgust, the Japanese pilot turned from the grisly scene and focused his attentions to the smaller pilot.  
  
Quatre sat in a catatonic state, staring with unseeing eyes at the floor.  
  
"Quatre?" Hiiro called, kneeling before the boy, escaping his handcuffs and then relieving the blonde from his. "04?"  
  
The blonde just stared. His lips weren't even moving anymore.  
  
"Status?" Hiiro commanded.  
  
He got no response.  
  
"Quatre. . ." He pleaded quietly, "Snap out of this. . . Trowa wouldn't want you to be like this."  
  
Still nothing.  
  
Hiiro grit his teeth, glaring at the smaller boy. This wasn't in his training; he didn't know what to do. . .  
  
The low drum of boots marching down metal corridors alerted the soldier.  
  
"04, We must escape." Hiiro said in his 'Mission' tone.  
  
Nothing.  
  
"Damn it, Quatre, You have to snap out of this!" Hiiro shook the boy.  
  
The room filled with OZ soldiers. They quickly surrounded the pilots.  
  
Hiiro sent them death glares as they aimed their weapons at them. Unconsciously, he held the blonde tighter, almost protectively. "We are unarmed, and Have no desire to retaliate." He stated evenly.  
  
"Funny thing to hear from a child who single handedly killed five grown men." A soldier mocked.  
  
"They posed a threat." Hiiro replied, slowly standing, and pulling Quatre up with him, holding him close. "Threats need to be eliminated."  
  
"I agree." The soldier nodded. "However, from our point of view, you pilots are the threat. We have orders to execute you." He aimed his pistol at the boys.  
  
Hiiro's glare deepened, and he growled low in his throat.  
  
Suddenly, the sound of rushing soldiers, followed by the clicking of gun safeties being removed filled the room. "We are members of the Treize Organization." A brunette soldier announced, "Throw down you're weapons OZ, we don't wish to kill former comrades."  
  
"The Treize Organization?" The OZ soldier frowned, "You're revolting!?"  
  
"Yes. We find that OZ no longer follows His Excellency Treize's ideals. Therefore, we must take matters into our own hands. Starting with the release of the Gundam Pilots."  
  
"Damn You!" The OZ soldier swore, throwing down his weapons and raising his arms in surrender. His subordinates quickly followed suit.  
  
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The Perfect Soldier frowned at all of this. 'OZ is falling apart at the seams. . .' He analyzed, as he hoisted the unresponsive blonde onto his back, while shooting glares at their rescuers as he followed them. 'At this rate, they will destroy themselves.'  
  
They were lead down the corridors, deep into the colony.  
  
"Here." A voice said after a while, cutting into Hiiro's thoughts. He looked up to see the brunette rebel gesturing to a door.  
  
"Nani?" Hiiro demanded, hefting the blonde up. The Arabian pilot was heavier then he looked, and the weight on his back was becoming irritating.  
  
"There are doctors that are willing to look at your friend."  
  
"Doctors?" Hiiro glared. He wasn't prepared to trust these traitors, nor was he willing to leave Quatre with them.  
  
"You know them well enough." The soldier smirked, pushing open the door.  
  
"Still suspicious as ever, Hiiro?" A gravelly voice jeered. "That's what makes you such an excellent soldier."  
  
"Dr. J?" Hiiro frowned, cautiously entering the room.  
  
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"Very interesting." Instructor H mused, shining a light into Quatre's aquamarine eyes. The crazy old coot frowned when the blonde failed to even blink.  
  
"We told you he was a poor choice for a pilot!" Dr. J and G were ranting. "That the Wing Zero was too much for any human. . . And now look at what you've done. . . He's absolutely useless. . . We might as well kill him."  
  
Hiiro's head whipped up from his gaze on the floor.  
  
Instructor H quirked an eyebrow, "Kill him? After we just lost 03? Never." He snorted with disgust and irritation, "Besides, this is to be expected."  
  
"What do you mean?" Hiiro demanded.  
  
H glanced at the lanky teenager that leaned against the far wall, "He was conditioned not to use his Newtype abilities against his allies because it would be disastrous. If he somehow managed to ignore that conditioning, this state was to be a back up plan." The instructor gloated a bit, "Actually it was pure genius on my part. This state causes his empathic powers to overload and short out. They will need time to recover, but in a short time, he should be back to his normal self."  
  
"Is it irreversible?" Hiiro asked.  
  
H glared, "Didn't you hear what I just said?" He huffed, "They will need time to recover, but in a short time, he should be back to his normal self."  
  
"That wasn't what I was talking about." Hiiro glared, "His newtype abilities are one thing, but Quatre has completely shut down. He doesn't even respond to basic commands."  
  
The round engineer frowned slightly at this and regarded his young charge for a moment. "Uh. . .yes. . . that's just part of the conditioning. . ."  
  
"Is it irreversible?" Hiiro asked again.  
  
H chuckled nervously, "I'm sure that this is temporary."  
  
"For your sake, I hope you're correct." The Japanese pilot warned, sending a death glare.  
  
H shifted uncomfortably, and muttered something in Arabic.  
  
The blonde blinked slowly once. Twice. Then, with a slight groan, sat up.  
  
"Quatre?" Hiiro asked, approaching. He lay a supportive hand on his friends shoulder.  
  
"H-Hiiro?" He looked around, "Where's Trowa? Is he alright?"  
  
"You don't remember?" The other boy frowned.  
  
"Remember? Remember what?" The blonde shook his head confused, "Hiiro, where's Trowa!?"  
  
"That's quite the personality." G quipped approaching, "Far from suitable for a soldier."  
  
"Huh?" Quatre blinked, cringing away from the old man.  
  
"Quatre." H said coldly.  
  
"Nani?"  
  
The Instructor began to rant in Arabic, gesturing wildly in the air. The small pilot nodded periodically, wincing at other times. Finally, the Man snapped something and backhanded the boy.  
  
Hiiro looked like he was about to interfere, until Dr. J stopped him. "Matte, Hiiro." He ordered. Hiiro waited.  
  
Quatre's demeanor changed. He climbed off the examination table and stood as tall as he could. His face had a stubborn defiance in it as he calmly replied in Arabic to whatever the Instructor had said.  
  
"You stupid little brat!" H shouted angrily, switching back to the language that everyone understood, and moving to hit the boy again.  
  
"Hn." Quatre grunted, blocking the blow and throwing the heavier man over his shoulder into the far wall. "You're the one that's being foolish." He said calmly, before turning and leaving the room.  
  
Hiiro frowned, and then followed him.  
  
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Once alone, the other engineers mocked their disgraced comrade. "He really told you off, didn't he?" G sneered.  
  
"Shut up." H glared, picking himself off the floor.  
  
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"Quatre. . ." Hiiro called after the boy as he quickened his pace. "Quatre, Matte!" The blonde broke into a jog. "Quatre!" He reached out and grabbed his friend's arm.  
  
"Let go, Hiiro." The Arabian ordered, his voice low.  
  
"What did he say to you?" the taller pilot asked, releasing the other boy's arm.  
  
"It doesn't matter."  
  
"It has you upset. It does matter." Hiiro crossed his arms over his chest.  
  
Quatre sighed, "He's upset that I made him look like a fool. . . That I couldn't handle his perfect weapon. . . That I was too weak. . ."  
  
"You're not weak, Quatre."  
  
"Is it true?" He asked, not turning around. "Is Trowa. . .?"  
  
"Trowa Barton's whereabouts are unknown." Hiiro replied, "He's probably dead."  
  
Quatre swallowed hard, tears filling his eyes, but they did not fall. "A- And Zero?" he chocked out.  
  
"In the hands of OZ."  
  
Quatre turned, "We have to get it back." He said evenly. "OZ will never be able to control it and they will cause more damage then I ever did. It must be destroyed!"  
  
"Hn." The Japanese pilot agreed. "It's on its way to the Earth."  
  
"The Earth?" Quatre paled. "We have to stop them!"  
  
"We could steal a shuttle and intercept them."  
  
The blonde nodded in agreement, "Hai. . . as soon as possible?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Arigato, Hiiro."  
  
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Duo groaned as he landed his new Deathscythe Hell on the back of an awaiting ship.  
  
"OI!" A cheerful voice called up to him, as he climbed out of the cockpit, "Daijoubu ka?"  
  
He grimaced slightly as he eyed the speaker. It was her. "I'm fine." He replied, mildly annoyed. The dark haired girl waited for him as he descended on the elevator. "Hilde, what are you doing here?"  
  
"Offering you a ride." She grinned. "Did you destroy the lunar plant?"  
  
A smirk crossed the braided boy's face, "OH, Yeah!"  
  
"I'm glad." She gestured to the cockpit, "Back up soldiers will be arriving soon. You're Gundam doesn't look like it could stand to fight anymore right now. How 'bout we make an escape?"  
  
"Sounds good!" Duo readily agreed, "Let's get out of here!"  
  
"If you want, you can hide out at my place for a bit." Hilde offered. "I work at a scrap yard, so you'd be able to repair your Gundam."  
  
The braided boy scratched his head thoughtfully, "I appreciate the help, Hilde, but I gotta ask-Why?"  
  
"I just living my life, believing in the path I've chosen." She flashed a smile. 'My path just keeps coming back to you.'  
  
"Well then, what are we waiting for?" Duo demanded good naturally, "Let's get this show on the road!"  
  
"Hai!"  
  
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Wu Fei sighed wearily. "Nataku will reside in this Gundam too." He said with confidence. "We will continue to fight together until Treize is dead." He set a course towards L5. "The Elders will have to inspect this Altron. . . and I could use some time to think."  
  
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"Daijoubu Ka?" Hiiro asked, not looking at his current partner as they flew towards the OZ transport that carried Wing Zero.  
  
"Hai." Quatre responded. "I was just trying to calculate the possibilities of Trowa. . ." He paused, as his eyes teared. Stubbornly, he refused to allow them to fall. "The possibilities of Trowa surviving and still being alive. . ." He finally finished.  
  
"Quatre. . ." The Japanese pilot frowned.  
  
"I know." The blonde interrupted. "I know that I'm being foolish, and that I should just accept things for what they are. . . but. . ." He sighed, "I can't help but feel that he's still alive somewhere out there. . . I pray for it. . ." He shook his head, trying to keep the tears at bay. "He's strong. . .he's survived worse. . . and he's a Gundam pilot. . ."  
  
"Just because we're Gundam pilot's doesn't mean that we are immortal." Hiiro pointed out.  
  
"I know."  
  
Hiiro frowned slightly, "You're going to have to cry for him sometime." He said.  
  
"Perhaps." Quatre allowed, "But that time is not now."  
  
"Hn."  
  
They fell into silence. Each dwelling on their own thoughts. Hiiro on the mission, Quatre on a certain banged boy.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
A/N: I do hope that everyone enjoyed it. The next chapter will be out soon.  
  
^-^ Weissangel24 


	16. Chapter fourteen

Konnichiwa Minna!!!  
I apologize for taking so long to update!  
  
Same old, Same old. . . this hasn't been beta'd  
(I'm still looking for someone if anyone is interested!)  
So let me know of any mistakes and I'll fix 'em!  
  
Arigato  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter fourteen  
  
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He drifted in a vast void. There was nothing to see. There were no sounds save his own breathing. There was no sense of warmth, not even from his own body. Nothing to do but drift. Drift.  
  
Alone. And very cold.  
  
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He could see him drifting off in the distance. Joy and relief filled the blonde's soul as he cried out to the lost boy. "TROWA!" Desparetly, he ran to the boy, "TROWA! I thought you were dead!" He sobbed, as he flung himself into the other boy's arms. "I thought you were dead!"  
  
"I am dead, Quatre." A cold voice stated bluntly, as the blonde was pushed away, "And you killed me."  
  
The boy looked as if he had been slapped, "T-Trowa. . . I. . ."  
  
"Save it, Quatre!" The voice snapped. "I tried to save you! I tried to help you! And this is how you repay me!?"  
  
"No! Trowa! It was an accident! I didn't mean to!" The blonde shook his head in denial. "Please, Trowa!"  
  
"Please, Quatre?" The voice sneered, "What are you begging for? Forgiveness?" The boy let out a haunting laugh, "Do you really expect to be forgiven?"  
  
"No." The smaller boy seemed to shrink in on himself, "I don't ever expect to be forgiven. . ."  
  
"And why should you?" Trowa demanded. "After all. . . you're a MURDERER!" The empty space that surrounded them opened up to reveal a fiery abyss. "MURDERERS BURN IN HELL!"  
  
"TROWA!" The blonde screamed as he fell into the burning flames.  
  
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"TROWA!"  
  
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Quatre bolted awake to find someone restraining his flailing body.  
  
"Quatre, calm down." Came the stern order.  
  
Struggling to gain control of his ragged breathing, the blonde blinked several times before recognizing the other boy. "Hiiro. . ." He whispered.  
  
"You okay?"  
  
Hesitantly, the boy nodded, as he looked around his surroundings trying to get a baring as to where he was. He was in his cabin on the shuttle. He and Hiiro were on their way to stopping Wing Zero from reaching Earth. He was dreaming.  
  
"That was one hell of a nightmare." Hiiro commented, noticing how the smaller boy shuddered.  
  
Quatre didn't answer. He just moaned and pulled his knees up to his chest, burying his head in them. He then wrapped his arms around his head to hide his face.  
  
Hiiro frowned. "Quatre," He commanded, "look at me."  
  
"I can't." came the miserable reply.  
  
"It was about Trowa." The Japanese boy noted.  
  
"H-He. . ." the boy struggled to keep his tears at bay. He stubbornly refused to let them fall. "H-He. . ."  
  
"Nani?"  
  
"He said that I killed him. . . That I'm a murderer. . ." Quatre whispered, shaking his head, "He said I was going to burn in hell. . . I. . . He. . . He's right. . . B-but. . . I. . ."  
  
"He made his own choice, Quatre." Hiiro reminded the shaking boy. "He flew into the blast. You didn't intend to hit him."  
  
"I. . . I. . ." The boy shook his head.  
  
"Quatre." Hiiro said, lifting the boy's chin, forcing him to look at him. "Do you remember the last thing Trowa said to you?"  
  
The smaller boy thought for a moment before murmuring a quiet, "No."  
  
"He said, 'Turn back into the nice guy I once knew. . .' I don't think that is the thought of a person who would condemn you. It was just a nightmare."  
  
"I deserve it." Quatre bowed his head, squeezing his eyes tightly shut, "I deserve to be condemned to hell. . . I killed him. . . I killed the one person I loved. . ."  
  
Hiiro's eyes widened, "Quatre. . ."  
  
The blonde gasped suddenly realizing that he had spoken that last thought aloud, "Oh, Allah. . ." he choked out burying his face in his hands.  
  
"That's ironic." Hiiro muttered.  
  
"What?" Quatre glanced up.  
  
"Nandemoni." The soldier shrugged off, "You should try and get some more sleep. We'll be catching up to the shuttle in a few hours, You need to be rested for that."  
  
"I can't go back to sleep." Quatre whispered, "Every time I close my eyes, I see him. . ."  
  
"You can't stay awake forever." Hiiro reasoned.  
  
"Don't make me, Hiiro, please. . ." The blonde looked up at him through his pain filled azure eyes, "I don't want to listen to him hate me. . ."  
  
"Quatre. . ." The Japanese boy warned.  
  
"I'll be alright, Hiiro." The smaller boy promised.  
  
Hiiro sighed and turned to leave, "I'm heading back to the cockpit if you need me."  
  
"Okay." The boy whispered.  
  
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His hair was plastered to his face as he wandered the darkened streets in the pouring rain. He had no coat, and his clothes were soaked and sticking to his skin. He had no destination, for he did not know where he was, nor was he sure as to how he got there.  
  
He grimaced slightly as he tripped and jarred the stiff ache in his leg. Stumbling forward, he discovered that he didn't have the strength to catch himself, and soon found himself rushing to meet the cold pavement. The harsh landing wasn't as painful as it should have been, yet, he couldn't seem to get back up.  
  
There was only a single thought drifting around in his head, as he lay in the muddy puddle in the middle of the darkened street. A thought, that didn't make much sense to him. It was more of a plea to a nameless face. A face that brought him a small sense of comfort and hope. The face of an angel.  
  
'Turn back into the nice guy I once knew. . .'  
  
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"Hiiro, what should we do after we destroy our target?" Quatre asked as he commenced the start up sequence of the stolen Leo he was piloting.  
  
/"Head on to Earth."/ The Japanese boy replied as his image popped up on the blonde's view screen.  
  
"The Earth was very kind to us." The boy nodded in agreement.  
  
/"Are you ready?"/  
  
"Yes." Quatre confirmed.  
  
/"Let's go then."/ Hiiro said leaping out of the shuttle.  
  
The blonde quickly followed, desperate to put enough distance between his Mobile suit and the shuttle, which Hiiro had programmed to self-destruct. "We won't have a lot of time before they pick us up on their sensors." He warned, "They're sure to send out Mobile Dolls to try and stop us."  
  
/"Let them."/ Hiiro answered in his monotone way, /"We can handle them."/  
  
"What if they try to use the Zero?"  
  
/". . ."/  
  
Quatre frowned, "Right. . ." He murmured. The Vayeate and the Mercurius, two Gundams that surpassed the original Gundams weren't any match for the White suit. If it came to a battle between the OZ Leo's that they were now piloting. . . "We might as well forfeit our lives. . ."  
  
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The battle was over rather quickly. The space convoy they were attacking wasn't equipped with Mobile Dolls, and the manned Suits that were sent out as a greeting party contained in experienced pilots.  
  
It didn't take Hiiro long to reach the shuttle, board it and attach the explosives to the white Gundam. "I'm setting this for thirty seconds, Quatre." He warned, "Get your butt out of here."  
  
/"Roger."/ the blonde replied, /"I'll see you on the Earth."/  
  
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Earth.  
  
It was much more beautiful then he remembered. Between the salty ocean spray to the fresh air that he drew into his lungs, he felt like he had returned to a place where he truly belonged.  
"But the colonies will always be my home." He reminded himself, as the wind teased his blonde hair.  
  
"Quatre, We need to go." Hiiro warned, coming out of his damaged Leo. "OZ is sending a search party this way to investigate.  
  
The smaller boy nodded, and turned to the stoic boy. "Hiiro, do you have an idea as to where we're going?"  
  
The Japanese boy frowned, making sure that his weapon was undamaged, loaded and safely secured in the waistband of his spandex shorts. "There is one place. . ." He began, "But I'm hesitant to go there."  
  
"Why's that?" the blonde asked, checking his own weapon, and followed the other boy through the meshy sands. He liked the way beach sand felt different than desert sand. How it was finer and purer.  
  
Hiiro growled low in his throat as the many reasons for avoiding this place filled his mind and realizing that he wanted to voice none of them.  
  
"Hiiro?"  
  
"How is your empathy?" The soldier asked suddenly.  
  
Quatre blinked at the evasive change of subject. He would expect something like this from Duo, not Hiiro; however, he went along with it. "I'm not sure." He replied honestly, "I haven't had much contact with other people, and You've always been impossible to read. . ."  
  
"Keep an eye on it." Hiiro cautioned before lapsing into a silent trek towards the one place he did not want to go, but knowing he had no other choice.  
  
"I will." Quatre promised, before falling silent himself out of respect for the other pilot.  
  
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The image in his mind haunted him as he limped about the city. It still poured. It was still dark. And he was still sopping wet. And Still, he wandered around aimlessly.  
  
"Trowa. . .!?!" A woman gasped out of shock and horror, nearly dropping her umbrella and groceries.  
  
He slowly looked up, peering through the heavy curtain of water laden bangs. She had hair a similar color to his own, and ice blue eyes. Her eyes weren't as nice as the ones belonging to the nameless face in his head, but still, he smiled warily.  
  
"Oh MY GOD!" She screamed as he fell forward, "TROWA!"  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
Arthor's note: Gomen ne! Gomen ne! I'm sooo sorry for taking so long to update! ::grovels for forgiveness:: My life has just been Hell lately. I just moved into my new apartment, and I've been working my two jobs pulling 16 hour shifts, and I've just been dead tired! AND no time! No Time!! I  
hate being an adult! It royally sucks!  
  
Anyways, now that I'm done bitching and complaining. . .  
  
The next chapter is more than halfway typed. I'm just trying to find some information and that's holding me up a bit X-x ( I was actually working on that chapter before this chapter, but ssssshhhh, don't tell anyone, it's a  
secret ^-~)  
  
I've been working on my other fic 'Family Ties' so that should (emphasis on should) be updated soon. I've also been hacking my brain trying to sort  
out a new fic witch (I misspelled this on purpose) is a crossover call 'Charmed lives'. I hope to be posting that soon. I have a feeling it'll be a long one ( the prologue is 18 pages typed X-x) so I'm want to finish  
'Burnout' before I post that, but let me know what you think- 'kay!?  
  
Thank you all to those who review! ::flying tackle GLOMP!:: I just love  
reading what you guys think of my random collection of words.  
  
^-^  
  
Weissangel24 


	17. Chapter fifteen part one

Hi everyone.  
Here is the first part of the next chapter.  
I hope you enjoy.  
  
I want to remind everyone that this is AU and I did post an Ooc warning at  
the beginning of this story.  
  
~-~  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter fifteen A  
  
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"Hiiro!" The Sanc princess blinked surprised. "I never would have thought you'd come here. . . Welcome."  
  
"I wasn't aware that this was your country." He replied coldly.  
  
"Hiiro!" The blonde boy that stood next to the Japanese boy hissed.  
  
"Hn."  
  
The blonde sighed with exasperation before stepping forward and addressing the princess. "I am Quatre Raberba Winner." He introduced himself, "Thank you for welcoming us into your country. We do not wish to cause you any difficulties, as our presence here is sure to bring."  
  
"We won't be staying long." Hiiro interrupted.  
  
Relena smiled, "This is a pacifist nation. The war is left outside the boarders. As long as you are here, you are refugees. So, why not stay for a while? You could rest, attend school, and live like normal teenagers for a while."  
  
"That is a very tempting offer. . ." Quatre said wistfully.  
  
"OZ is already looking for ways to get rid of this nation." Hiiro pointed out. "We'd only be giving them a reason to invade."  
  
"It's not like I'm going to make a huge announcement about you being here." The princess smirked. "Please, allow me to worry about such things?"  
  
The blonde boy looked uncertainly at the taller boy. Hiiro stared coldly at the smiling girl. "Fine." He finally relented, turning and leaving the room.  
  
"Arigato." Quatre said, bowing slightly.  
  
"My pleasure, Quatre." The girl smiled. "It will be nice to have some boys enrolled in this school for a change." She giggled lightly as the blonde's face flushed with embarrassment. "Come, I'll show you to your room, get you some uniforms, and when you're ready, introduce you to your classmates." She lead him out the door and found Hiiro leaning against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. "If you'd please follow me. . ."  
  
Quatre fell in step with the princess as she chatted about the different classes and extra curricular activities. The blonde boy noted that Hiiro was following at a distance.  
  
Abruptly, the girl stopped. Quatre nearly collided into her. She took out a key ring and began to search for a specific key. After a few moments, she found it and unlocked the door in front of her. "I'm sorry." She apologized, "Most of the dorms are filled and aren't very private. I know Hiiro won't want to stand out any more than necessary. So, at least for the time being, it will be necessary for you to share a room. Will that pose a problem?"  
  
"Iie. . ." Quatre shook his head, "No, Problem."  
  
"Good. There are twin beds, two dressers, desks. . ." She said showing them about the room. "There's an adjoining bathroom too."  
  
"This is great. . ." Quatre smiled.  
  
Relena took out her keys again and fished another two off the ring. "Very few of the rooms lock." She said, handing her key to Quatre, and the other two to Hiiro. "This one does. I'm giving you possession of all copies of the key for as long as you're here. I want you to be able to relax, Hiiro."  
  
The Japanese boy didn't say anything, but nodded curtly.  
  
"Thank you, Princess." Quatre humbly accepted.  
  
The girl smiled, "Please, call me Relena?" She turned to leave, "Ask if you need anything. Class starts in an hour." She paused before closing the door, "Hiiro, I'm really happy that you're here."  
  
And then she was gone.  
  
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Dorothy Catalonia's eyebrow rose as Miss Relena led two young men into the room.  
  
"Ladies, I'd like to present to you your new classmates."  
  
'Well, well, well. . ." The blonde girl mused, tracing a finger along her freakishly pointed eyebrows. 'You're the last person I expected to see. . .'  
  
"I'm Quatre Raberba Winner."  
  
"Hiiro Yui, it's a pleasure."  
  
Dorothy stood, locking eyes with the blonde boy. She smirked slightly as his eyes widened and his body tensed, "On behalf of all of us, Welcome."  
  
"Thank you, Dorothy." Relena smiled and turned to the pilots, "Why don't you take seats in the back?"  
  
Hiiro gave a curt nod and took a step forward, however, he stopped when he noticed Quatre was frozen in place. 'No. . .' He amended, 'He's not frozen, he's petrified.' The pilot followed the blonde's gaze to the blonde girl. She had an almost evil expression on her face.  
  
Quatre's hand stole to his chest, and he trembled in fear.  
  
"Quatre?" Hiiro asked, cutting into the trance like state of the smaller boy.  
  
"Hiiro. . ." the blonde whispered in recognition. The Japanese boy gestured to the seats and the Arabian followed meekly, head bowed.  
  
Dorothy beamed as she sat back down. 'This is going to be fun. . .'  
  
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"What the Hell was that?" Hiiro demanded after they had returned to their room.  
  
Quatre didn't answer, but walked past the angry boy to the window.  
  
"Quatre!" Hiiro's hand lashed out, grabbing the blonde's arm and twisting it, so that they faced each other.  
  
"Let go!" The smaller boy protested through gritted teeth, "You're hurting me!"  
  
The Wing pilot glared and shoved the other boy away. "Talk." He ordered.  
  
Quatre shuddered as he cradled his arm, "There's nothing to say."  
  
"You know that girl."  
  
Quatre didn't respond.  
  
"She knows you."  
  
The blonde swallowed the lump in his throat.  
  
"She'll compromise our security. She should be-."  
  
"NO!" Quatre shouted, looking up sharply, "You can't kill her, Hiiro!"  
  
"Why?"  
  
"You just can't! It would be a mistake."  
  
"Damn it, Quatre! You're being too emotional!"  
  
They were silent after that last remark.  
  
"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Hiiro?" Quatre asked quietly, even though he knew the answer.  
  
"No."  
  
"I had thirty sisters. Twenty-nine were test-tube-babies that shared both my parents and one of them. . . is the result of an affair my father had on Earth."  
  
"Dorothy."  
  
"Yes." Quatre nodded. "Her mother was Treize Kushranada's aunt and Duke Dermail's daughter."  
  
"So why are you terrified of her?" Hiiro asked, crossing his arms over his chest and glaring at the smaller boy.  
  
"I. . . I'm. . ." Quatre started to deny. Hiiro's glare deepened and the blonde heaved a defeated sigh. "Her mother and my mother died about the same time. Father brought her to L4 to live with us. At first, we got along fine. She liked being a big sister and she could be very over protective. . . but when I was four, things changed."  
  
"How old was she?"  
  
"Five and a half. . ."  
  
"What happened?"  
  
"Little things to start with. She'd pull my hair, push me, kick me. . . that type of thing. As we got older, she got more hostile and finally, when I was seven. . . she tried to kill me."  
  
"Explain!"  
  
"She. . . um. . . she hit me over the head, tied me up and threw me into our pool. . ."  
  
"NANI!?"  
  
"My sister, Zara, found me and saved me. She told father, but he was convinced it was just an accident. After all, what eight and a half would try to murder their little brother?"  
  
"A psychotic one."  
  
Quatre gave a small smile, before he turned and walked to the windows. He leaned against the frame.  
  
"That wasn't the only time she tried, was it."  
  
"No." The blonde shook his head. "About six months later she tried to electrocute me, and when that failed, she tried to shoot me."  
  
"What about you're father?"  
  
"He didn't believe it until he walked in as she drove a kitchen knife into my chest. . ." the blonde shuddered at the memory. "She. . . She was trying to cut out my heart. . ."  
  
"If she was so intent on killing you, then why do you object to me killing her?"  
  
"After that, father had her sent away. He asked me not to hold a grudge. . ." Quatre paused, remembering the sad expression on his father's face and the ache that he had felt in his heart. "He said that. . . it wasn't her fault. . . that I should protect her. . ."  
  
"Quatre. . ."  
  
"Hiiro, I know she's a risk to us. . . but please. . . don't kill her?" the blonde boy pleaded.  
  
"I will eliminate all obstacles." Hiiro said coldly. "As long as she is not an obstacle, she can live. . ."  
  
"Thank you, Hiiro." Quatre bowed slightly.  
  
"Hn." The Japanese boy took out his laptop and settled at his desk. Quatre took his books and headed for the door. "Where are you going?"  
  
"The library." He answered, "To do my homework."  
  
"Are you armed?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Watch your back."  
  
"I will." The blonde promised as he left.  
  
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He was almost done with his thesis paper when a light hand brushed his shoulder. Quatre jumped, and whirled around, startled, his hand ready to draw his concealed weapon. A girl with blue eyes and auburn hair stood behind him. He relaxed slightly, "Miss Relena. . . I'm sorry, you startled me."  
  
"Forgive me, I didn't mean too." The princess apologized, "I wanted to invite you and Hiiro on a picnic tomorrow. There are no classes and we'll be taking the horses."  
  
"I'd love too." Quatre nodded, "However, I can not speak for Hiiro."  
  
"Of course." Relena nodded, "If you would please tell him, I'd appreciate it."  
  
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"You're going?" Quatre blinked in surprise, "Why? I mean, this isn't something I thought you'd do. . ."  
  
"I found a communication on line." Hiiro said standing and closing his computer, "OZ is arranging an assassination of Relena."  
  
The smaller boy gasped, "I can't believe that! They'd really be that bold?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"But. . ."  
  
Hiiro shook his head, cutting off the boy's protests. "OZ doesn't realize that we're here. We can stop them."  
  
Quatre heaved a sigh and nodded his agreement.  
  
"Get some sleep. I have a feeling it's going to be a long day tomorrow."  
  
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He found himself in a darkness of endless cold. And he was alone.  
  
"Quatre. . ." A voice called.  
  
The blonde gasped, looking for the source, "Who's there?"  
  
"Forgotten me already?" The voice asked, as a dim bit of light illuminated a humanoid outline.  
  
"Trowa!" The blonde cried out happily, as he ran towards the silhouette of his long lost friend. "I'm so glad that you're alright!"  
  
The banged boy shrugged, not moving from the shadows, as his hollow voice answered, "If you can call being blown to bits 'n pieces alright. . ." He took a step into the light.  
  
Quatre froze.  
  
Trowa's body was badly burned and mutilated. Chunks of his flesh were seared away and missing. His hair was singed and his skin ash like. It was obvious that he was dead. His voice became thick with hatred, and fury. "Then I guess I'm the freakin' king of alright!"  
  
"Trowa. . ." The blonde whimpered, frightened, "What's happened to you?"  
  
"What's Happened to me, Quatre?" the banged boy echoed, his tone raising, "WHAT'S HAPPENED TO ME? YOU HAPPENED TO ME, QUATRE!" He roared, the force of his voice knocking the smaller boy off of his feet, "YOU BLEW ME UP WHEN I WAS TRYING TO HELP YOU! THAT'S WHAT HAPPENED TO ME! THIS IS THE THANKS I GET FOR GIVING A DAMN ABOUT YOU? YOU KILL EVERYONE AROUND YOU! YOU'RE A PLEAGUE ON EVERYONE YOU KNOW!"  
  
Haunting faces began to emerge from the surrounding shadows, all in worse shape then Trowa. They began to paw, and claw at him, snarling and snapping, scratching and hissing. They were trying to tear him apart.  
  
"Trowa!" Quatre screamed, stretching his hand out to the other boy, "Please! Save me!"  
  
"Why?" the living dead scoffed, "So you can finish me off? YOU CAN ROT IN HELL!"  
  
"TRRRROOOOOOOWAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"  
  
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"TROWA!" Quatre screamed repeatedly, his arms fighting against the sheets that entangled his body, "TROWA!"  
  
"Quatre!" a sharp slap hit the blonde's face, rudely awakening him. Frightened, azure eyes blinked open to find the stern glare of Hiiro inches from his face. "You were having another nightmare."  
  
"Trowa. . ." Quatre whispered, his eyes filling with tears. He quickly rolled onto his stomach, so that he didn't have to look at the other boy.  
  
"Was it bad?" Hiiro asked.  
  
Quatre didn't answer, he was too shaken.  
  
"You need to cry, Quatre." The perfect soldier stated matter-of- factly. "Other wise, your nightmares are just going to get worse and worse."  
  
"I-I can't, Hiiro. . . I just can't. . ."  
  
"Why?"  
  
The blonde shook his head, and buried his face in his arms, and pillow. "You wouldn't understand. . ." came his muffled reply.  
  
"Try me." Hiiro challenged.  
  
"If I cry. . . it will mean. . ." A sob choked him, and he fought to continue. "That I've given up. . . that he's really. . . not coming back. . .WHY!?" he suddenly screamed, his body spasming with his pent up sorrow. "WHY, HIIRO!? WHY DIDN'T YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE?"  
  
"My. . . promise?" the Japanese boy echoed confused.  
  
"YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD KILL ME!" Quatre whirled around into a sitting position, and glared at the other boy while taking his tank top into his fists, with such speed that it caught Hiiro off guard, "YOU SAID THAT YOU WOULD KILL ME, HIIRO! WHY DIDN'T YOU!? WHY DIDN'T YOU KEEP YOUR PROMISE!?"  
  
The tears fell.  
  
"Why, Hiiro?" He whispered, through his hysterical sobs, as he sagged against the other boy. "You said that you were gonna kill me. . . so please. . . just. . . kill me. . .please, Hiiro. . ."  
  
"You were no longer a threat." Hiiro answered, hesitatingly wrapping his arms around the smaller boy's thin shoulders, "There was no reason for you to die. There is no reason for you to die."  
  
"I miss him so much. . ." Quatre confessed, "Every ounce of my soul screams for him. . .and it's my fault. . . it's all my fault. . ."  
  
Hiiro sighed, gently stroking the boy's back as the small Arab sobbed into his shirt. He didn't know what to say, so he just let the boy cry out all of his sorrows until he had no more tears left, and he had fallen asleep. The Japanese boy then lay the blonde back into his bed, and covered him with the blankets. He then pulled up a chair from the desk and settled in for an all night vigil over him.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
A/N Please review.  
  
~-~ (I am sooo out of it. . .) Weissangel24 


	18. Chapter fifteen part two

Konnichiwa Minna!  
  
Here's part two of chapter fifteen!  
  
Enjoy!  
And please let me know what you think.  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter fifteen B  
  
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Quatre opened his eyes to find that he was alone in the room. Groggily, he sat up, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"You're up." Hiiro observed from the bathroom doorway, "Did you sleep any better?"  
  
"I did." The smaller boy nodded gratefully.  
  
"If you're going to shower, then get in there." Hiiro ordered. "We're to meet Relena in an hour and I want to do some surveillance first."  
  
"Okay." Quatre frowned worriedly as his friend tried to stifle a yawn. "Hiiro, did you sleep at all?"  
  
"Hn."  
  
"Hiiro. . ."  
  
"Don't worry about me, Quatre." The Japanese boy ordered, "Go shower."  
  
"Hai. . ." The blonde complied.  
  
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The horse was absolutely magnificent. A stallion of the purest white, pride of its Arabian heritage, galloped around its enclosure. He had the blackest eyes that Quatre had ever seen; eyes that seemed to look straight into the soul.  
  
"What's his name?" He asked in a hushed whisper, as he carefully approached the beast, his hand open and stretched out.  
  
Relena smiled, "To be honest, I can't pronounce his given Arabian name; so I call him Kunshu. Anything else doesn't seem to do him justice."  
  
The blonde boy nodded, "It suits him." He smiled sadly as the horse approached him cautiously and began to nuzzle the boy's pale hand. "You don't ride him?"  
  
Relena shook her head. "He proved too much for most of the girls. He's very spirited." She put a gentle hand on the blonde's shoulder, "But, I'm sure you'd be able to handle him, if you want to ride him."  
  
Quatre smiled faintly, "If he is spirited, it is because he doesn't wish to be ridden."  
  
The princess thought about this and then replied, "Or maybe he hasn't found the right rider? He seems to like you, Quatre. He's usually snapped at someone by now."  
  
The blonde turned to the horse, stroking its muzzle, "Would you let me ride you?" He asked quietly.  
  
Kunshu whinnied then snorted, stamping his hoof as his ears twitched.  
  
"I don't want to upset you. . ."  
  
The horse pressed its nose into the boy's palm, and blinked those deep black eyes.  
  
Quatre sighed, "Arigato. . ." he whispered. He turned and walked into the stable to find a saddle and reigns. On his way in, he passed Hiiro as he led another horse out.  
  
This one was of the darkest obsidian, a true rival of the Arabian. This one was an Anglo-Arab. He had a defiant air about him that taunted anyone to mess with him.  
  
"Hiiro!" Relena called, "What do you think of our horses?" The Japanese boy glared at her for a moment before mounting the dark horse. "Kazan has a nasty temper, Hiiro." The girl said, keeping her distance from the animal. "I know you're a skilled horseman, but even the best have had a hard time with him."  
  
"That's why I chose him." Hiiro replied, commanding the horse to proceed. The beast snorted and pawed the ground agitatedly before complying with the orders. The Japanese boy then guided Kazan around the warm up arena.  
  
Relena sighed and shook her head slightly, before turning and addressing Dorothy. "Which horse have you chosen?"  
  
"Ichigo." The blonde girl smiled before leading a strawberry roan gelding and a silver white thoroughbred mare over to the waiting princess. "I also requested Tenshi for you, Miss Relena."  
  
"Thank you, Dorothy." The other girl said, flipping her auburn hair over her shoulder, before climbing onto the gentle gelding. "Is everyone ready?" She called, as Quatre trotted up next to her with expert skill on Kunshu.  
  
"Hai." The siblings replied together, along with Hiiro's "Hn."  
  
"Then let us be off." The princess said, leading the group out of the corral and out into an open field. "We'll go through the valley, up the ridge, stop for lunch and then head back home. . ."  
  
"That sounds fine, Miss Relena." Dorothy purred.  
  
Quatre gave his half sister a glare to which she merely smirked off.  
  
"Quatre?" Hiiro beckoned to the blonde. Quatre turned and looked at the boy behind him, he then halted Kunshu in order for his friend to catch up.  
  
"Nani? Daijoubu?" the blonde asked concerned.  
  
"Daijoubu." Hiiro assured. "I want you to stay close to Dorothy."  
  
The blonde blinked in surprise, "Demo. . . Doshite?"  
  
"Because I don't trust her." The perfect soldier said bluntly. "And you know her."  
  
"Yeah! I know her, Hiiro, because she's tried to kill me so many times!" Quatre hissed, "I'd rather keep my distance from her, thank you very much!"  
  
Hiiro glared at him, and he glared right back.  
  
"Quatre! You must come and see this!" The blonde girl's sing-song voice called from up a head of them.  
  
The blonde pilot paled, as he sighed and broke his staring contest with Hiiro. "What is it, Dorothy?" He called as he urged Kunshu to catch up.  
  
"Just this view!" Dorothy beamed, "It amazes me that this country is still unaffected by the war."  
  
"It is lovely. . ." Quatre agreed. 'Trowa would have loved to see this. . .' he thought sadly, his eyes tearing slightly.  
  
"What's on your mind, my dear baby brother?" The girl purred.  
  
"Nandemoni." He whispered, blinking back the tears, refusing to allow them to fall.  
  
"Hm."  
  
The rode in silence for a while. Quatre looked back every so often to see how Hiiro and the princess were faring. He smiled softly at the kind smile that Relena held for Hiiro. Even with his empathy being out of commission at the moment, he could still tell that she loved the Perfect soldier very much. 'I wonder what Hiiro thinks of her?' He pondered for a bit. 'Poor Duo if his equally devoted. . .'  
  
"Quatre?"  
  
"Huh?" He blinked glancing up at the owner of the voice, "What is it Dorothy?"  
  
"Nothing really." She shrugged, half-heartedly, "I was just wondering exactly How well do you ride?"  
  
Quatre shrugged, "Why do you ask?"  
  
"How familiar are you with armaments?"  
  
"What? Why?"  
  
She shrugged again, and flicked a finger at her eyebrows, "I was just wondering, if that red light on your shirt was one of those. . . what are they called? Laser sights?" She smirked as the boy paled when he looked down at his shirt. "If it is, then how well you ride a horse, might determine whether or not you live. . ."  
  
"The assassination attempt wasn't for Miss Relena. . ."  
  
She chuckled pleasantly, "Think of it as for old time's sake."  
  
"Damn you, Dorothy!" The blonde swore urging Kunshu into a fast paced gallop, just as the first bullet whizzed by.  
  
The girl laughed, "Run, run, run. . . as fast as you can!" she mocked.  
  
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'It's a sniper rifle. . .' Quatre's mind calculated as the boy urged the horse to go faster. 'Depending on what model . . . it has either 5 or 10 rounds. . .' Another bullet whizzed by the blonde, "That's two. . . I've got to get off the trail. . ."  
  
Abruptly, the blonde turned the stallion from the path and down the hill. 'It sounds like an automatic. . .' another shot cracked a tree branch to the left of the pilot, "DAMN IT! WHERE'S HIIRO?" He leaned down to avoid being clipped by a low branch, 'It could be a Barrett M-82A1. . . if it is then I'm screwed. . .'  
  
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"Where did Quatre go?" Relena asked curiously.  
  
"Nani?" Hiiro frowned looking for the Arabian, "Quatre?"  
  
"He was right there with Dorothy. . ." The princess frowned.  
  
"Shut up." The Japanese boy snapped, listening intently.  
  
Relena raised an eyebrow towards him, "What is it?" She mouthed silently.  
  
A swift whistle followed by a sharp crack, caused the Perfect soldier to leap into action. In one fluid motion, he leapt off his dark horse, grabbed Relena and had her safely on the ground; hidden in the tall grass.  
  
"Hiiro!?" she hissed, "What is with you?"  
  
He clamped a hand over her mouth, "Shut. Up." He ordered, giving her a death glare. "Sniper."  
  
Relena gasped, "Dorothy! Quatre!" she whispered frantically, "What about them! They'll be shot!"  
  
Hiiro glared at her and listened intently. Another crack sounded. 'It's further away. . .' Hiiro frowned. "Stay down and don't move." He commanded, as he rolled down the embankment and dashed through the tall grass that lined the trail.  
  
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Quatre cut back a scream as the sniper managed to hit his shoulder. 'Damn it!' he swore, falling off of his horse and leaning against a tree. 'It's defiantly a Barrett. Which means that it has a changeable clip. . . he can keep this up longer then I can. . .' He grimaced, as he gripped his shoulder, ". . . keep running. . .Damn it. . . Where are you Hiiro?"  
  
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Hiiro's keen eyesight scanned the area. Dorothy was standing next to a tree, binoculars in hand, watching something with absolute glee. Following her line of sight, he barely caught a glimpse of the blonde pilot duck behind a tree.  
  
Another loud crack clipped the air.  
  
Following the angle, the Japanese boy eyed the sniper. Adapting his 'mission accepted' mask, he crept up behind the gunman, his own pistol ready.  
  
"You picked the wrong target." Hiiro said coldly, leveling the weapon at the back of the assassin's head.  
  
"I don't pick 'em." The shooter protested, "The clients do."  
  
"Who hired you?"  
  
The sniper grinned, "That would be telling. Bad for business."  
  
"So's being dead." Hiiro glared, pulling the trigger.  
  
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"Quatre?" Hiiro called.  
  
"I'm here." The boy replied with a grimace as he gripped his arm tightly.  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" Hiiro demanded, accessing the condition of his friend.  
  
"Been better." Quatre offered a small smirk. "It's not bad."  
  
"Quatre!" Relena cried, running over to the boys, "My God! Are you alright!"  
  
"I'm fine." The blonde assured the princess. "Where's Dorothy?"  
  
Relena blinked, "Dorothy? She's getting the horses. Why?" She asked as the Gundam pilots exchanged a glance.  
  
"We should get back to the school." Quatre murmured, his head bowed so that his bangs covered his eyes. "It's not safe out here."  
  
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Off in the distance, Dorothy pouted. "Someone always seems to rescue you, my dear little brother." Movement amongst the grass caught her eye, and she reached out and swiftly caught a cute little mouse. She watched it with mild amusement before wrapping her long fingers around its fragile body. "One of the days, you'll be alone, and vulnerable, Quatre. . ." She smirked, squeezing her hand. The mouse squeaked out in protest, and then shrieked with desperate panic as its life was stolen from it. "I can't wait."  
  
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To Be continued. . .  
  
A/N My sister Darkangel2y has written her first fic (I co-wrote/beta'd it)  
Please take some time to read what she has written. It's called "Hell's Angels".  
  
Arigato,  
Weissangel24  
  
Kunshu means Sovereign Tenchi means angel Ichigo means strawberry And Kazan means evil, rebellious or something like that (I forgot ~-~;;. ) 


	19. Chapter sixteen

^-^  
I'm on a roll! Another chapter so soon! I've been working on Family Ties, and will be typing the next chapter for  
that soon.  
  
Please enjoy and let me know what you think!  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Chapter Sixteen  
  
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Duo scowled skeptically at the large tent. "You can't be serious, Hilde."  
  
"You need to loosen up, Duo!" The raven-haired girl grinned, pulling on his arm. "Have some fun! You've been way to melancholy lately."  
  
"You would be too if you found out that your best friend had blown up your other friend."  
  
"I'm sorry." Hilde sighed sadly, "I'm just trying to help."  
  
"I know. . ." The braided boy threw her a lop-sided grin. "Eh." He shrugged, "Might as well enjoy it while we're here. Right?"  
  
"Right!" She exclaimed, ushering him into the tent.  
  
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"You may as well show yourself, Hiiro." Dorothy addressed, not looking up from the novel she was engrossed in. "I know you're there and that you're armed."  
  
The Japanese boy's glare deepened as he emerged from the shadows of her bedroom, his gun trained on the back of her head. "Then you should also know why I'm here."  
  
The blonde girl grinned with evil mischievous, "To have a late night tryst?" She asked coyly as she turned the page of her book.  
  
Hiiro growled low in his throat.  
  
"If you glare much harder, your face will break." She noted, placing her book down and gliding from the chair with a cat-like grace, "I know, Hiiro. The reason you've come is because of my. . ." She paused searching for a delicate way to phrase it. ". . . toying with my dearest Quatre." She smirked, "You should be grateful. If it weren't for him, my plans to assassinate Miss Relena would have succeeded. He's a hero." She chuckled, "No pun intended."  
  
"You stay away from Quatre." Hiiro warned, "And you stay away from Relena."  
  
"Let me guess." She sauntered over to him, and wrapped her arms about him flirtatiously, "If I don't, you'll use that gun to kill me." She pouted slightly, "That could be fun."  
  
Hiiro glared at her as he freed himself from her. She laughed.  
  
"Don't look so hateful, Hiiro." She chided, "You don't have to worry." She smiled, "My grandfather has requested that I return to Romefeller immediately. I leave in the morning. So your precious pilot is safe. And besides. . ." She shrugged nonchalantly, "With Quatre around, who needs Miss Relena."  
  
"I will kill you." The Japanese boy swore, leaving the room.  
  
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"Quatre," Relena beckoned the blonde as he passed by her office.  
  
"Yes, Miss Relena?" the boy questioned, from the doorway.  
  
She smiled warmly at him, "Please, come in and close the door." The pilot did as he was asked. "Have a seat." She gestured to the chair across from her desk. Quatre sat, wincing slightly as his arm was jostled. "How are you?" The princess asked, a worried note in her tone.  
  
"I've had worse." The Arabian replied quietly.  
  
"I thought you'd like to know that Dorothy will be leaving us tomorrow morning." Relena said. "So she won't be able to cause you any more trouble."  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Also, my informants have alerted me that a man named Rashid has been trying to contact you. . . something about having your Gundam repaired and ready for pick-up?"  
  
"Sandrock. . ." The boy blinked in disbelief, "I had blown it up. . . I didn't. . . I didn't think it could be repaired. . ."  
  
"If you'd like, you can use my systems to contact him."  
  
"Thank you. I appreciate it." The pilot stood and bowed slightly, before turning to leave.  
  
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He stood in the center of a darkened room. A room free of distractions.  
  
The Chinese boy sighed deeply, his mind focused on meditating. The elders of his clan had been pleased with the new Nataku, though they were concerned about the rashness of its pilot. Rashness was a weakness.  
  
It showed lack of patience.  
  
His eyebrows furrowed at that thought. He was raised to think about honor and strength; and trained to live it. . . Yet a moment never seemed to pass without someone reminding him of just how weak he truly was.  
  
He growled with frustration as he lashed out angrily in the darkened room. "KISAMA!" He yelled, driving his fist into the wall behind him. "Why am I so weak!?"  
  
"Wu Fei." A little old man addressed from the doorway.  
  
The boy blinked in surprise, "Master Wong. . ." he gasped before bowing deeply with respect.  
  
"You are troubled, I can tell. . ." The old man observed, "However, about what. . . I could not say. . ."  
  
"I am weak." The boy frowned, "and I'm not sure how to get stronger."  
  
The master nodded thoughtfully. "Strength such as what you seek is not gained through training, but through living." He said cryptically. "Perhaps you are not as weak as you think?"  
  
"I lost."  
  
"There is more to be learned from a defeat then there is from a victory."  
  
"I could not help my. . . friend. . ." The boy sighed, "I feel useless."  
  
The elder chuckled kindly, "My boy, only if you do nothing are you useless. As for not helping your friend. . . you can not do everything by yourself. You are not a one man army."  
  
Wu Fei glanced at the floor, contemplating his master's words.  
  
"Perhaps. . ." The old man began, "Perhaps the answers you seek lie with the other pilots?"  
  
"You want me to team up with them?" the pilot asked skeptically.  
  
"I want you to think about it." The elder corrected. "Wu Fei, we will not always be here to tell you what to do. You need to make decisions for yourself."  
  
"Yes sir." The boy bowed respectfully, his master's words raging through his head.  
  
"MASTER!" A disgruntled martial arts student cried, running up to the elder, "OZ has found this place!"  
  
"What!"  
  
"They're demanding that we turn over the Gundam!"  
  
The old man nodded, "I figured it would only be a matter of time before they did. . ."  
  
"Master?" Wu Fei frowned, "Master, what are you saying?"  
  
"I want you to take the Altron, Wu Fei. I want you to leave. Now." The elder ordered.  
  
The boy was shocked, "But Master. . ."  
  
"Wu Fei, Remember what I have told you."  
  
The raven-haired boy swallowed hard, before nodding and running off towards his beloved Gundam.  
  
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The circus was as much fun as Hilde had promised. Duo absolutely loved the various acts that he had watched, and now the show was nearly over.  
  
"AND NOW, LADIES AND GENTLEMAN!" the ringmaster announced, "I PRESENT TO YOU CATHERINE, OUR KNIFE THROWING STAR AND HER PARTNER, TROWA!"  
  
"WHAT DID HE SAY?!" The braided boy exclaimed, leaping to his feet.  
  
Hilde blinked at him in surprise, "That this was the knife throwing act."  
  
"No! That girl's partner! What was HIS name?"  
  
"Trowa. . . or something like that. . ." Hilde answered, "HEY, DUO!" She protested as the boy climbed over her and disappeared down the isle. "Jerk!"  
  
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After the show, the banged boy held his costume in his hands, staring at it through saddened eyes.  
  
"Trowa, let me take that for you." The kind young woman offered. "You can finish feeding the lions."  
  
"Thanks, Cathy. . ." He whispered, handing over the outfit.  
  
"IT IS YOU!" A loud voice exclaimed, as the owner ran up to the frightened circus performer and grabbed him by the shoulders. "I don't fuckin' believe it! Have you told Q yet!? You've got to tell Q! He's been miserable since you disappeared!"  
  
"WH-Who are you!?" The banged boy whimpered.  
  
"Wha-?" Duo frowned, "Trowa! It's me! Duo!"  
  
"GET AWAY FROM HIM!" Catherine hissed, pushing the stunned braided boy away. "Leave him alone!"  
  
"Lady, I'm just talkin' to him. Jeeze!"  
  
The woman's glare deepened, "You want to take him back to the fighting! Well, I won't let you! NOW GET OUT OF HERE!"  
  
"Duo. . ." Hilde pleaded, grabbing the boy's arm and pulling him back, "Please, Duo. . . She throws knives for a living. . ."  
  
"Trowa. . ." The boy gapped, as he allowed himself to be pulled away.  
  
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"Thank you, Rashid." Quatre said with a small smile, as he gazed up at his beloved Sandrock. "I really appreciate everything you've done for me."  
  
"Think nothing of it, Master Quatre." The Maganuac grinned, placing a hand on the boy's uninjured shoulder. "We're always eager to help you, just say the word."  
  
"It's good that you have a moble suit again." Hiiro noted. "I'm contacting Sally Po, so that she can bring the Wing and Heavyarms to us."  
  
"Are you thinking of returning to space, Hiiro?" The Sanc princess asked, a note of regret in her voice.  
  
"Hn."  
  
Quatre nodded, "We should probably call Duo and Wu Fei. . ." He suggested. "I think we're going to need everyone for the upcoming battles. . ."  
  
"Rumor has it that Zechs has obtained a Gundam called Wing Zero." Rashid informed, "Have you heard of the suit, Master Quatre?"  
  
"I built it." Came the almost inaudible reply.  
  
"He can't be allowed to keep it." Hiiro glared.  
  
"No, he can't." The Arabian agreed. "That suit is much too dangerous."  
  
"Hn."  
  
"I'll call Duo. . ." The blonde said, taking off down the hall.  
  
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//So when will ya be back?// Duo's cheerful face asked.  
  
"I'm not sure exactly, but soon." Quatre replied, "Hiiro wants to stop Zechs. I'll probably be going on ahead and we'll meet up later."  
  
The braided boy nodded. //How have you been doing?//  
  
"I miss him." The boy answered sadly.  
  
//So he hasn't called you. . .// the boy frowned thoughtfully.  
  
"What!?" Quatre's head whipped up, his eyes wide with startled hope. "Duo?"  
  
The braided boy looked at his miserable friend, before heaving a defeated sigh, "Quat. . . I've got something to tell you. . ."  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
A/N I don't think I'm spelling Romefeller and Maganoc correctly. If  
anyone would like to help me out, I'd appreciate it.  
I hope you've enjoyed it.  
  
The next chapter will be out soon.  
  
^-^  
  
Ja ne!  
Weissangel24  
  
04/21/04 A/N #2 I went back and fixed Maganuac. Thanks for the help  
spelling.  
^-^  
Weissangel24 


	20. Chapter seventeen

Konnichiwa!  
  
I love it when I go to my 'rent's house! I get all inspired to write! And  
I'm here for a whole week! ::Does a happy dance::  
  
Please enjoy  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter seventeen  
  
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"If you're going to be looking for the rest of 'em, I suppose you'll find  
him eventually."  
  
"Duo, do you mean. . ."  
  
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Quatre ran out of Relena's school, without an explanation to Hiiro or Rashid. Neither soldier was very happy with the abruptness of the blonde's decision. As quickly as he could, he prepped Sandrock for space and loaded it onto a shuttle. After an agonizingly long flight, he finally arrived at L3. A taxi was waiting for him when he exited the shuttle port. Quickly, the teenager got into the vehicle and ordered his destination with urgency. The older man smiled and assured him that he'd be there as soon as possible. Now he stared out the window, his guilt ridden mind wistfully thinking of that certain banged boy whom he was sure he had killed.  
  
Murdered.  
  
"Please let it be you. . ." He whispered, a tear slipping down his face, "Please, Trowa?"  
  
Not a single day, hour or minute when by that the smaller boy didn't stop blaming himself for what had happened to the banged boy. He had convinced himself that even if Trowa were alive, he'd never forgive him. . . never love him. . . he was a monster. A heartless killer of thousands, maybe even millions. He really had no idea how many people were living on the colonies that he destroyed with the Wing Zero.  
  
No, Trowa would never be able to forgive him and he didn't deserve it.  
  
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"Let me warn you, Quat." Duo had said, "He's different from the last time  
we saw him."  
  
"How so?"  
  
"He's not the same person that he was when we left for space." The braided  
boy tried to explain. "He went through something awful. Something un-  
imaginable."  
  
"And it's my fault. . . all of my fault. . ."  
  
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"Please be alright. . ." He prayed, as the cab pulled into the parking lot of the Circus.  
  
"Here you are, Kid." The older man smiled, "Shall I wait for you? Or would you rather I come back later?"  
  
Quatre looked at the man, "I'm not sure how long I'll be." He apologized, "How about giving me an hour and then I'll meet you here?"  
  
"Sure thing, Kid." The driver smiled sympathetically, as the young blonde exited the car.  
  
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The show was outstanding. They received a standing ovation and many children pleaded for more. Catherine Bloom and her adopted brother Trowa stepped out of the tent and out by the animal cages.  
  
"That was a great show, Trowa." She smiled, "You really are a natural at this."  
  
Trowa simply nodded, as he started towards the lion cages.  
  
"Oh, Trowa." Catherine sighed, "You seem so miserable. Can't you just be happy, now that you're away from the fighting?"  
  
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Quatre stared up at the huge circus tent. "He's here?" He asked himself in disbelief. There was a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach as he wandered the grounds. "Oh, Trowa. . ." he shook his head. "Why would you be here?"  
  
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He knelt in front of the Lion's cage, stroking the muzzle of the large beast while he whispered soft words to it. Suddenly, he felt as if he wasn't alone, that someone was there behind him, watching him.  
  
Someone familiar.  
  
Slowly, he swallowed the lump in his throat and looked up and over his shoulder. Someone was there. A small blonde boy with beautiful blue eyes. Familiar eyes that were glistening with tears. There was a look of joy, pure joy, on the boy's face.  
  
'He seems. . . I. . . I know him?' He thought, standing and taking half a step back, as the blonde took a step forward, never breaking eye contact. 'It's like. . . he has me under a spell. . .'  
  
And then he spoke.  
  
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He couldn't believe it! Duo was right! 'He is here!' Quatre thought with joy, "Trowa?" He asked hesitantly, as the boy took a half step back. A look of fear crossed the banged boy's face. 'He's afraid of me. . .' The blonde realized, as the fear emanating from the boy, pierced his heart. "Oh, Trowa. . ." He couldn't help it. The tears he had been holding at bay rolled down his cheeks. "I'm so sorry. . ."  
  
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'He is apologizing to me, but I don't know why. It seems to be eating him up inside. I just. . . I can't explain it. . . I just want to wrap my arms around him and tell him everything's okay. . . but I . . .' The banged boy looked very confused, "Do. . . Do you know me?" He asked.  
  
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Quatre froze at that question. "Trowa?" He asked as more tears fell. "It's me. . ." He looked broken heartedly at the taller boy, "Don't you remember?"  
  
"I'm sorry. . ." The banged boy shook his head, "but I. . ."  
  
"TROWA!"  
  
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The taller boy blinked in surprise as he looked down at the small boy who had just assaulted him with a hug.  
  
The small boy that now had his head buried his head into his shirt and was sobbing his heart out.  
  
The small boy that was whispering his grief and apologies, as his tears stained his shirt.  
  
The small boy that he was sure he knew. . .  
  
"TROWA!" A sharp voice cried in alarm.  
  
The banged boy looked up and stepped away from the blonde, "Cathy?" He asked, confused by his sister's anger.  
  
"GET BACK TO THE TENT!" She ordered, and then added softer, "I'll finish looking after the animals, so just go back inside."  
  
"O-O-Okay, Cathy." The boy nodded, looking shaken up by this woman's tone of voice. Slowly, he turned and walked into the tent, pausing slightly to take a good look at the blonde boy that was trying to dry his tears, and control his hiccupping sobs.  
  
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'He's leaving!' Quatre took a step to stop him, but the woman stepped in front of him, preventing him from following. She looked pissed.  
  
"You've come to take him back to the fighting!" she snarled, "Don't you think he's suffered enough already?"  
  
Quatre sniffled and looked at the ground.  
  
Catherine studied the boy for a moment before continuing, "He's lost his memories, because they are too painful to remember."  
  
"It's my fault. . ." The blonde whispered, "Trowa got hurt correcting a mistake that I had made. . . I . . . I don't ever expect to be forgiven for it."  
  
"Then do Trowa a favor and leave him alone!" Catherine shouted, spinning on her heal and storming into her trailer.  
  
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From inside the tent, Trowa watched the conversation transpire between the woman he called sister and the small blonde boy. He watched as the boy started to cry again and as he turned and left.  
  
Suddenly, Trowa's head began to ache and he began to feel frigid. "Oh no!" He gasped, wrapping his arms around himself, "Not again! I'm so. . .c-c- cold. . ." His breath became ragged, "I. . . I know that guy!"  
  
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To be continued. . . 


	21. Chapter eighteen

Konnichiwa minna!  
I'm still at my 'rents house and have been writing up a storm!  
  
I hope you enjoy!  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter eighteen  
  
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It was gone. . .  
  
His colony. . .  
  
Gone. . .  
  
Wu Fei shook his head in disbelief, "Why. . .?" he whispered repeatedly.  
  
His elder. . .  
  
Master Wong. . .  
  
Emotions flooded the Chinese boy faster than he was able to possess them.  
  
Disbelief. . . He couldn't believe what had just happened.  
  
Shock. . . It happened so fast.  
  
Anger. . . OZ was responsible for this.  
  
Self-loathing. . . He was too weak to protect them.  
  
And finally  
  
A great sense of loss and Sorrow. . . They were gone, and he was alone.  
  
His body shuddered, as his sobs consumed him. 'NO. . .no . . .no. . . it can't be. . .'  
  
"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"  
  
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Quatre gasped, his hand going to his chest impulsively.  
  
That feeling. . . That feeling of. . . Hopeless loss and sorrow. It was far stronger now than anytime before. . .  
  
The blonde whimpered, falling to the floor of his shuttle. Tears flooded down his face as he sobbed in correspondence to the grief he sensed. "Wu Fei. . ."  
  
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The banged boy gasped, dropping the pail of lion food, his head snapping up. He stood there mesmerized for a brief moment before he began to walk away from the cage, the tent, the circus, and everything he had come to know.  
  
"Trowa!" Catherine cried as he brushed past her with out a second glance. "TROWA!?" She ran in front of him, blocking his way, "Where are you going?"  
  
"He's crying." Came the boy's cryptic response, his hand clenching his turtleneck at his heart, "I. . . I can feel him. . ."  
  
"But, Trowa!" His adopted-sister began to cry, "You're finally away from the fighting! You're safe! You belong here! Please don't go. . ."  
  
"Cathy. . ." He lifted her chin, offering her a small smile. "I promise I'll come back. . . but. . .he needs me. . . I have to go."  
  
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/ "Quat! You okay?"/ Duo's worried voice exclaimed over the vid- phone. The blonde looked awful. He was pale and shaking. There were tear streaks on his face.  
  
"I'm fine, Duo. . ." Quatre whispered, "Have you found Wu Fei yet?"  
  
/"No, not yet. . . Why?"/  
  
"I feel. . . I feel that something's happened to him. . . I. . ."  
  
The braided pilot frowned, /"I'll extend my search."/ He promised, /"Don't worry, Quat. . . I'll find him."/  
  
"Thanks, Duo. . ." The blonde offered a small smile, but it in no way reached his eyes.  
  
/ "Did you find him?"/  
  
A flash of hurt passed over the Arabian's face, before he nodded slowly, "You were right. . .He is different. . ."  
  
/"I'm sorry, Q. . ."/ Duo sighed, / "I was kind-a hopin' that maybe seeing you might jog his memory. . ."/  
  
"It's alright, Duo. . ." The blonde whispered, "He's alive. . .I'm grateful for that. . ."  
  
/ "Oh, Quat. . ."/  
  
"Listen, Duo. . . OZ is going to get suspicious if I stick around here for too long. . . I'll meet you in two days. . . Okay?"  
  
/ "That's fine, Quatre."/ The braided boy nodded, a bright smile illuminating his face. He flashed the blonde a peace sign then cut transmissions.  
  
Left alone, in the cockpit of his shuttle, Quatre's thoughts drifted to the banged boy. Tears of remorse filled his eyes and slowly slid down his cheek. Feeling lost, the blonde closed his eyes, as he huddled in the pilot's chair. Before he knew it, a troubled sleep claimed him.  
  
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He swallowed nervously, as he eyed the shuttle. He knew that the boy from the yesterday was in there. He could feel him. . . his pain. . . Hesitatingly, the banged boy opened the hatch, and climbed in. Looking around, he found his way to the cockpit.  
  
From inside, he could hear muffled whimpers that tore at his heart. The boy's name. . . it was at the tip of his tongue. . . he knew that blonde angel. . . and yet. . .  
  
He didn't.  
  
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Quatre stirred. He sensed that he wasn't alone anymore. The presence wasn't threatening; rather it was timid, unsure and very fearful.  
  
A warm hand caressed his cheek, drawing the blonde from his slumber. Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. When his vision had focused, a small gasp escaped him. Above him, leaning over the back of the pilot's chair, was the banged boy. "T-Trowa! You're here!"  
  
"I. . ." The boy retracted his hand after a moment of awkwardness, "I can't explain it. . .but. . . I felt that I needed to be here. . ."  
  
"I'm glad. . ." The blonde whispered, a smile of pure happiness spread across his face. "I'm glad you're here, Trowa. . ."  
  
"I. . . I don't remember your name. . ." the boy apologized.  
  
"Quatre." The smaller boy whispered, reaching up and resting his hand over the other's, "My name is Quatre."  
  
"I. . . I feel like I know you. . . but. . . I can't remember. . ." The banged boy frowned slightly, "Please. . . can I come with you?"  
  
"Anywhere." The pilot breathed, tears slipping down his face.  
  
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The Chinese boy moaned from the pain in his head. Altron was badly damaged thanks to those OZ bastards. If they decided to come back, there was no way he'd be able to survive the fight.  
  
As if on cue, the proximity alarm sounded. "Oh, shit. . ." Wu Fei moaned as he struggled to get any response out of Altron, "Please, Nataku. . ."  
  
/ "Wu Fei?"/ A woman's voice called over the radio.  
  
He blinked, slightly disoriented, "Sally?"  
  
The voice sighed with relief, / "Wu Fei, Hiiro and I will be at your position in ten minutes. You can board then. . .are you alright?"/  
  
"I've been better. . ."  
  
/ "Hold on. . ."/  
  
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"QUAT!" Duo exclaimed, leaping from the Deathscythe Hell and assaulting the smaller pilot with a noogie.  
  
"DUO!" The blonde shrieked, as he laughed in response to his friend's joy. "CUT IT OUT!"  
  
"It's been forever!" The braided boy grinned as he turned to look at his Gundam and at Quatre's Sandrock that stood proudly next to each other. "This war is getting close to being done. . . huh."  
  
"Hopefully." Quatre nodded. "This Libra is going to be a challenge though. . ."  
  
"So, where are the others?" The boy asked as he followed the other pilot through the ship.  
  
"Hiiro, Sally and Wu Fei will be meeting us at Peacemillion the day after tomorrow. Apparently, Altron and Wing Zero need repairs."  
  
"Hold the phone!" Duo frowned, "Wing Zero!? I thought you guys had destroyed that thing!"  
  
The blonde nodded, "We thought so too. . . but then Zechs got his hands on it. . ."  
  
"So what happened?"  
  
"I'm not sure of the details." Quatre apologized, "But from what I understand; Treize created a suit that rivaled Zero, called the Epyon. He allowed Hiiro to pilot it in a fight against Zechs and Zero."  
  
"Is he okay!?" Duo interrupted, earnestly, "Is Hiiro okay?"  
  
"He seemed fine when I last spoke with him. . ." The blonde winced slightly, absentmindedly rubbing at his chest.  
  
The braided boy sighed and then nodded slightly, indicating that Quatre should continue.  
  
"After the fight, both pilots were having bad reactions to the cockpit systems."  
  
"What do you mean. . . bad reactions?"  
  
"The systems are. . . unique from any other fighting machine. Wing Zero shows the pilot the present future. Epyon shows the whole future." Quatre sighed, his whole domineer changing. "There is a fine line in fighting, Duo. . . one that should never be crossed. Hiiro and I both crossed that line. I lost control of myself, and Hiiro found that he had no future."  
  
"Had no future. . .What the hell is that supposed to mean!?"  
  
"I don't know. . . It was just what Hiiro told me." Quatre paused to open a door, "He said that he didn't understand what Treize was thinking, so he gave Zechs Epyon and took Wing Zero. . .He and Sally brought Heavyarms and Zero out to space, and picked up Wu Fei."  
  
Duo nodded as he processed the information, "What about Trowa? Is he here? Is he going to pilot the Gundam again?"  
  
The blonde's face saddened, "He's here. . . but I don't think he'll be fighting anytime soon. . ."  
  
"He really has amnesia."  
  
"He didn't even know my name, Duo. . ." The smaller boy whispered, tears appearing in his eyes. "He doesn't remember anything. . ."  
  
"I'm sorry, Quat. . ." Duo frowned, giving his friend a reassuring hug, "I'm sure that things will get better. . ."  
  
"I hope so, Duo. . ." The blonde offered a small smile, as he opened the final door.  
  
Trowa turned around from the co-pilot's chair, "We're about to reach Peacemillion."  
  
"Arigato, Trowa. . ." Quatre nodded, sitting in the pilot's chair and prepared to dock.  
  
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To be continued. . .  
  
A/N: . . . Um. . . comments?  
^-^  
Weissangel24 


	22. chapter nineteen

A/N: I didn't know that I could write so much! I think this is the third  
chapter I've finished today!  
Oi  
@-@  
  
Please read and review and let me know if my ramblings are for nothing. . .  
  
^-^  
Weissangel24  
  
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Chapter nineteen  
  
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"Zechs and Dorothy have joined up with the White Fang." Howard was informing the Gundam pilots, and Sally of current events. "Rumor has it that they're planning to destroy the Earth Sphere. . .and they're going to use Libra to do it."  
  
"THEY CAN'T BE SERIOUS!" Duo exclaimed, jumping out of his seat. "HAVE THEY GONE MAD?"  
  
"Sit down, Duo." Hiiro ordered, reaching up and giving the boy's braid a slight tug. Duo rubbed at the back of his head, and glared at the boy who sat next to him. "Let the man finish." The other pilot said, evenly as he locked eyes with the boy.  
  
Duo blinked a couple of times before breaking the staring contest. He silently cursed as he felt his cheeks flush, and his heartbeat quicken. 'What the hell was that?' He asked himself, stealing a glance at the boy, 'That wasn't your every day Hiiro glare. That's for sure. . .'  
  
"Daijoubu ka?" Trowa whispered to the smaller boy that sat to his left, frowning slightly at how tightly the blonde was gripping his armrests. The boy's knuckles were white, and his body was shaking slightly too. "Quatre?"  
  
"I-I-I'm fine. . ." The Arabian whispered back with a shuddering breath. He swallowed hard, desperately avoiding the other's eyes.  
  
"Quatre. . ." The banged boy began.  
  
The blonde leapt to his feet, knocking his chair back as he did so. All eyes turned on him, as did their emotions. Leaning against the table, he drew in quick shuddering breaths as he tried not to throw up.  
  
"Quat?" Duo asked, his concern hitting the boy like a ton of bricks, "You okay, man?"  
  
"I-I . . ." He shook his head squeezing his eyes shut, "EXCUSE ME!" He yelled, as he bolted from the room.  
  
"QUATRE!" Trowa yelled after him, also leaping to his feet and running out the door.  
  
"QUAT!" Duo got up to follow, but stopped when a hand gripped his wrist. "Hiiro?"  
  
"I'll go."  
  
"But Hiiro. . ." The boy started to protest.  
  
"Trust me." The Japanese boy asked before leaving the room, leaving a stunned Duo behind.  
  
"What is that all about?" Wu Fei scowled.  
  
"I'm not sure. . ." The braided pilot murmured sitting back down.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
The boy ran for all he was worth, the pain in his chest not ebbing. It was too much. . . everything was too much. All of the Hatred, the fear, anxiety, concern, pity, anger. . . It attacked him with a vengeance. It was all he could do to keep from screaming.  
  
"Quatre!" Trowa called after the blonde, "Quatre, wait up!"  
  
Quatre stumbled, and scrambled to pick himself up again, resuming his run.  
  
"QUATRE! Please!"  
  
"BARTON!" Hiiro yelled, "Turn right and head him off!"  
  
The banged boy nodded once and did as he was ordered. Hiiro kept running straight.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Quatre ran into an open door, slammed it behind him and locked it, before retreating into a dark corner. There he huddled, his hands gripping at his chest as he sobbed. He sobbed until his head hurt and his stomach twisted, causing him to throw up. He then threw up until there was nothing to throw up and his body had spent all of the energy he had. Exhausted, the blonde passed out.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
"Where is he?" Trowa asked as he met up with Hiiro without passing the blonde.  
  
"Inside one of these rooms, is my guess." The Japanese boy answered. "Do you know what's wrong with him?"  
  
"I think it's. . ." The banged boy paused, looking uncertain, ". . . his empathy?"  
  
"Did he tell you about that?" Hiiro raised an eyebrow.  
  
Trowa shook his head. "It's. . . just a feeling I have. . .I probably don't make sense. . ."  
  
"You make plenty of sense." The shorter boy assured, studying the doors that lined the hall, "Any guess as to which room he's in?"  
  
"The locked one." The banged boy reasoned, "He's trying to get away from us."  
  
"Hn." Hiiro nodded, and then proceeded to turn the knobs of the doors down the right side of the hall, while Trowa tried the knobs on the left.  
  
After a few minutes, the banged boy called out, "He's in this one. . . I'm sure of it."  
  
Hiiro tried the door. It was indeed locked. Taking out his gun, he aimed and fired, blowing the lock from the door. "After you."  
  
Quietly, the pilots entered the darkened room, using the light from the hall to illuminate their way.  
  
"QUATRE!" Trowa cried, spying the unconscious boy lying next to a puddle of vomit.  
  
The boy groaned, stirring slightly, "T-Trowa?" He murmured before lapsing back into his unconscious state.  
  
"Sshh, it's okay, Little one. . ." The banged boy whispered, gathering the boy into his arms, standing and facing the other boy.  
  
"Let's put him into his quarters." Hiiro suggested.  
  
Trowa nodded, and followed the boy.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
A cold cloth was lightly being dabbed against his forehead. It was refreshing compared to the heavy aura of concern that hung around him, causing him to grimace slightly.  
  
"Quatre?" A quiet toned voice beckoned for him to wake up.  
  
Slowly, his eyes fluttered open. Above him hovered the half covered face of Trowa. "Hey there." The banged boy smiled slightly as he removed the washcloth from his forehead. "How are you feeling?"  
  
"Exhausted. . ." the boy murmured, his throat scratchy. "How long have I been out?"  
  
"Three days." Trowa said, helping him to sit up and then handed him a cup, "Here. . . Drink this. . ."  
  
Quatre complied. The water was cool and refreshing to his parched throat, "Thank you. . ." he smiled slightly.  
  
"Anytime, Quatre. . ." The banged boy smiled, "Hiiro wanted to speak to you as soon as you woke up. . . I'll go get him for you." He stood, and made to leave, but paused at the doorway, "I. . . I was really worried about you, Quatre. . ." he murmured before disappearing.  
  
Hiiro came in a brief second later; noting with some amusement, the confused look on the blonde's face. "You know, for an empath, you're pretty dense."  
  
"Nani?" Quatre frowned warily.  
  
"Nandemoni." The pilot shook his head slightly, "Daijoubu ka?"  
  
"Right now? Or in general?"  
  
"General."  
  
Quatre's frown deepened as he tried to figure out how to voice his thoughts. "It's back. . . my empathy. . ." He began.  
  
"Since when?"  
  
"The first time I'm aware of it was when I found Trowa. . . he was. . ." Quatre swallowed, and his voice dropped to a bare whisper, ". . .afraid of me. . ."  
  
"And since then?"  
  
"I haven't been able to shut anyone out!" The boy exclaimed, "It's an ongoing pounding in my heart and in my head! I can't tell the difference between what I'm feeling and what I'm picking up from other people! It never stops! It just keeps getting louder and louder. . . I can't make it stop!" he grimaced, doubling over on himself, "It hurts Hiiro. . .and I'm. . . I'm scared. . .It's never been this bad before. . . I. . . I can even feel you. . ."  
  
"But you said. . ."  
  
"I know. Before now, I wasn't able to. . . you kept them too well hidden." The blonde shook his head, "But now. . ."  
  
"Hn."  
  
They stayed in an uneasy silence before the smaller boy broke it, "You should really talk to Duo." He whispered.  
  
"You know Trowa didn't leave your side since he found you?"  
  
"He. . . didn't?"  
  
Hiiro shook his head, "Duo's been wanting to see you. You up to it?"  
  
"I guess so. . ."  
  
The Japanese pilot left and soon a nervous American knocked at his door, "Quat? You okay?"  
  
"I think so." He offered a small smile.  
  
"You used to tell me everything, Quat. . . Why didn't you tell me 'bout this?"  
  
"It's not exactly something you could help me with, Duo." The smaller boy apologized. "I. . . didn't mean to keep it from you. . . honest."  
  
"I know, Q." The boy smirked, ruffling the blonde's hair teasingly. "But I could have at least tried to tone it down. . . you know?"  
  
"I couldn't ask you to do that." Quatre denied, "There are a lot of negative emotions floating around this ship. Your more upbeat emotions offer me a refuge of sorts. . . besides, I wouldn't ask you to not be yourself."  
  
"Yeah. . . I know." The braided pilot grinned.  
  
Quatre sighed wearily, suppressing a yawn.  
  
"Tired?"  
  
"Yeah. . ."  
  
Duo smirked, as he made to leave. "Then get some rest."  
  
"Duo. . ." Quatre stopped him as a tenseness surrounded his heart, "Was there any fighting while I was. . .?"  
  
"You shouldn't worry about that, Quat." Duo tried.  
  
"Duo. . . You don't lie."  
  
The braided boy looked at his pale friend, and sighed. "Yeah. . . There was a battle."  
  
"Someone's here. . . someone. . .you don't want. . ."  
  
"Hilde." The boy frowned, "She snuck aboard Libra and stole some schematics. . . but at the same time, she got injured."  
  
"You're afraid of hurting her. Why?" Quatre frowned.  
  
"You're being a tad bit nosy, don'cha think, Q?" Duo teased.  
  
Quatre frowned, "I'm being serious."  
  
"I know you are. . ." He sighed. "But you must know."  
  
"She loves you." Quatre nodded, "But you love Hiiro."  
  
"So why'd you ask?"  
  
The blonde smiled, "So that you'd know it too."  
  
The braided boy stared at his friend for a moment, "You know something." He frowned.  
  
"It's not mine to tell." Quatre apologized.  
  
"Huh. . ." The braided boy scowled lightly before a grin crossed his face, "Get some rest, Q." He waved. "I'll catch ya later. . ."  
  
"Laters, Duo. . ." Quatre sighed as he lay against the pillows, sleep already threatening to claim him.  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
"My dear little brother. . ." a voice cooed from the darkness of his dreams, "Are you really a kitty cat? Do you have nine lives?"  
  
"Leave me alone!" He shouted, backing away from the menacing presence he felt trying to draw him in.  
  
"I wander how many lives you have left?" The voice purred, "Let's see. . . there was one for almost dying at birth. . .one for the pool. . . one for the electricity. . . one for the shooting. . . one for the knife. . . one for self-detonating. . . one for the assassin. . . one for the sniper. . . gosh. . . How many is left?" The voice turned cold, "By my count, that's eight, Winner! Better take care. . . You've only got one life to live. . .and I'm waiting. . ."  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
Quatre woke with a yell, his body shaking in a cold sweat. "What the hell. . ." He gasped into the darkness of his quarters.  
  
He could feel it. An intense desire to kill.  
  
"Dorothy. . ." He realized, suppressing a shudder. 'This time. . . she's not going to fail . . .'  
  
~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~  
  
To be continued. . .  
  
A/N: I can honestly say that this fic will probably be about 25 chapters  
long,  
(Unless I get sidetracked X-x)  
Which means we're getting close to the end. (Honestly, I've got chapters 22-25 already written, I just need to finish  
20+21 ^-~)  
  
I also wanted to let you know that I have a sequel in the works too.  
  
Also, for you Yu Yu Hakusho fans out there who just might be reading this.  
. .  
  
Opinion time! (Actually, I have a scenario thought up and I want to see how I should end  
it!)  
  
I'm taking a poll, and would liked to be emailed directly with  
you're  
  
honest opinions!  
  
In an honest fight, Between Hiei and Kurama  
  
(No special moves, just as they are)  
  
Who would win??????  
  
I await your thoughts.  
  
And please email me directly at: weissangel24@yahoo.com re: Hiei/Kurama  
  
fight poll!  
  
I'll take answers till the end of the first week in May!  
  
(May 7th people)  
  
Arigato Minna!  
  
^-^  
  
Weissangel24 


	23. Chapter twenty

Warning: Hiiro Duo Ooc-ness. Character Death.  
  
Chapter twenty  
  
Sweet music echoed through the metallic halls of Peacemillion. The notes were perfectly played, though the tone sounded melancholy, as if the musician's heart were not in it.  
  
Duo watched as the blonde drew his bow gracefully across the violin's strings, in the darkened room. Quatre had his eyes closed and was swaying to the melody. He seemed to be in a world of his own.  
  
"Quat. . ." Duo asked quietly as the song drew to a close. "Daijoubu ka?"  
  
The smaller boy sighed, slowly opening his eyes. After a moment, he turned and offered a small smile to his friend. "Hai, daijoubu."  
  
"Are you sure?" The braided boy frowned, approaching the other boy as if he were a timid animal that would easily be frightened off. "You seem kinda down."  
  
"I'm sure." The boy nodded, as he gently put his instrument away. "I've just been thinking. . . That's all."  
  
" 'Bout what?"  
  
The other boy fell silent. His shoulders sagged as he merged further into the darkness to sit in front of the window. Staring out, he watched the endless sea of stars sparkle in their brilliance.  
  
"Quat?" Duo questioned, watching the silhouetted form of his friend. The figure moved to wipe at his face, and the braided boy could hear a stifled sob. With a worried frown, Duo approached the upset boy, "Quatre, What's wrong!?"  
  
The blonde shook his head slowly as a glistening tear streaked down his pale cheek.  
  
"Are you sick?" Duo prompted, kneeling in front of the smaller boy. "Is someone else sick? Are you feeling them?"  
  
Quatre slowly shook his head again as tow more tears chased after the first.  
  
"Did someone hurt you?" Duo pressed.  
  
A sob hitched in the smaller boy's throat as he shook his head in response to every question his braided friend threw at him.  
  
"Is it your sisters?" Duo asked, getting frustrated at the lack of cooperation Quatre was giving him. "Did something happen with Trowa?"  
  
Quatre froze. What little color that was left in his complexion drained, leaving him as white as a sheet.  
  
"What?" Duo demanded, "what happened!?"  
  
The boy shook his head again, more tears flooding down his face.  
  
"Quatre!" The braided boy scowled, "tell me. I can't help if I don't know what's wrong!"  
  
The blonde boy chocked on a sob and miserably buried his face into his hands, doubling over in his mysterious pain.  
  
"Quat?" Duo sighed, gently wrapping his arms around the distraught boy, and held him.  
  
"I-I. . . miss him. . ." the boy finally relented, releasing all of his restraints and hesitations. "H-He . . . doesn't know me. . . at all!"  
  
"He knows you!" the braided boy tried to comfort. "Quat! You're the only one he does know!"  
  
"NO-no-no-NO!" the blonde wailed. "He only knows what you've told him! He doesn't remember anything we've talked about, the music we've played, the battles we've fought. . . our friendship. . ."  
  
"Maybe. . . Maybe this is a good thing. . ." Duo began, pausing at his friend's bewildered expression. "I-I mean. . . Quatre. You were unable to tell the old Trowa how you felt. . . Maybe telling him now would be easier. . ?"  
  
"I couldn't!" The boy jumped up, horrified.  
  
"Why not?" Duo demanded, also standing, "without his memories-"  
  
"What if he gets them back!?" Quatre whispered, "He'd realize that I took advantage of him. He'd never forgive me." The boy scoffed, "like he would anyway. . ."  
  
"Quatre. . ."  
  
"Have you talked to Hiiro yet?" the blonde asked, shifting the conversation.  
  
"Nice try, Quat, but we're talking about you and Trowa."  
  
"Same conversation isn't it?" Quatre moved towards the door. "You and I have a secret that we won't disclose?" He paused and looked back at his braided friend. "You know that the upcoming battles are going to be the hardest we've ever fought; and you Know that there are things worse then death. . . Are you prepared to face those things without telling Hiiro?" He frowned, "You were the one who said that was stupid. That if you don't, you'll end up regretting it."  
  
"I also said that Hiiro is nothing like Trowa! You can't compare them!" Duo nearly shouted. "I can't Quat! I just. . ."  
  
The blonde sighed. "Then you are a fool," he said bluntly, before turning on his heel and running from the room.  
  
"QUATRE!" Duo bolted after his friend. "You just don't understand! I can't tell Hiiro!" He reached the hall, but saw no sign of the smaller boy. "I just can't."  
  
"What can't you tell me?"  
  
Duo spun around, his eyes widening. "H-Hiiro. . ." he sputtered, taking a step back. The color drained from his face.  
  
The Japanese boy looked expectantly at the American. "Well?"  
  
"Hiiro-I. . ." Duo shook his head before turning and running down the corridor.  
  
Hiiro watched him for a moment before taking off after him.  
  
Trowa sighed as he turned the page of photos to look at the next. He smiled softly as he viewed one Quatre had taken earlier in the year when they had had some free time. They had gone swimming.  
  
In the picture, it showed the Chinese boy, Wu Fei, running around chasing the braided boy, Duo, with Hiiro watching; while he was balanced on a tree branch that hung over the pond, preparing to dive in.  
  
In another photo, Quatre was playing his violin. He appeared blissfully content, the smile, which was a rare occurrence lately, lighting up his face. He seemed to be watching something. . . or someone that was out of the picture's range.  
  
The banged boy closed his eyes. The sounds of music filled his mind so that it almost seemed as if it were playing at that very moment.  
  
After a moment's concentration, his eyebrow furrowed into a slight frown. The music he was hearing didn't fit the picture. . . and yet. . . he knew that Quatre had played it before.  
  
His eyes flew open, as a small gasp escaped him.  
  
He knew.  
  
Duo ran until his lungs burned and his sides ached, and still he could hear the subtle patter of the 'Perfect Soldier's' sneakers as he followed. "Le- Leave me- alone- Hiiro!" he gasped out, trying to put some distance between him and his pursuer.  
  
Suddenly, Duo was jerked to a stop and slammed into the wall, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to gag. "Not until you talk to me." Hiiro glared.  
  
"I have nothing to say. . ." Duo groaned, rubbing his shoulder where he had impacted.  
  
The boy's glare deepened, "I find that hard to believe considering you've got something to say about everything."  
  
The braided boy bowed his head so that his bangs covered his eyes and the hint of tears that lay in them. "So I ran out of things to say," he mumbled, moving to leave.  
  
With a growl, Hiiro slammed his hands into the wall on either side of the boy, trapping him.  
  
"What gives, Hiiro!?" Duo demanded, his anger peaking slightly.  
  
"CUT the Crap!" the Japanese boy snapped.  
  
The braided boy gasped. Hiiro was looking at him with an intense expression that Duo couldn't quite name. It wasn't his usual "Death Glare", in fact, he didn't seem angry at all.  
  
It was frightening.  
  
He wanted to run, but his body wasn't listening to the orders his brain sent out. He wanted to break eye contact, but something compelled him not to move. He scarcely breathed. Nervously, he swallowed the lump that was in his throat. He tried to speak, but it seemed as if his voice had deserted him.  
  
Duo had realized several months ago what his feelings towards Hiiro were. He knew that he wanted the other boy to feel the same. He wanted to have Hiiro's attentions. . . but this. . .? . . . This was. . .  
  
Several minutes passed and neither boy spoke, nor did they move.  
  
Finally, Hiiro's head drooped as he let out a deep defeated sight. "Duo. . ." He muttered, allowing his arms to drop to his sides.  
  
Despite being free to go, the braided boy was anchored to that spot against the wall. A single tear escaped his control, outlining his heart shaped face.  
  
Cerulean eyes widened slightly as another tear slipped from the boy's eye. "I. . . I don't understand. . ." he whispered, reaching out to brush the droplet away.  
  
"H-H-Hiiro. . .?" Duo stammered.  
  
The Japanese boy shook his head, the faint trace of a smile on his stoic face. Hesitatingly, he stepped closer to the braided boy, and reached out to him, taking a hold of the boy's hips and pulling the other boy towards him. In a swift, yet gentle movement, Hiiro had leaned in capturing the braided boy's mouth in an unexpected kiss.  
  
Duo gasped in utter shock, and Hiiro took advantage of the boy's open mouth to deepen the kiss. 'This isn't happening!' he protested silently, 'It can't be! I've got to be dreaming!'  
  
Yet . . . as the kiss progressed, the braided boy found himself melting into the other boy's embrace.  
  
Hilde hummed happily to herself as she wondered the halls, searching for Duo. She hadn't felt this happy in a long time. Just the thought of being near the braided boy was enough to make her smile for hours and for the pain of her injuries to disappear. She knew deep in her heart that she wanted to be near the boy forever.  
  
Giggling to herself, she rounded a corner in the hall, and was greeted with an unexpected sight.  
  
Hiiro pulled away from the stunned boy. "I've never been very good with words, Duo. . ." He was saying. "Or emotions. . . they're. . . they're supposed to be a liability. . . but. . ." He reached up to caress the braided boy's cheek. "I can't deny what you do to me. The way you make me feel. . . I. . ."  
  
"Hiiro. . ." Duo shook his head, "don't play games. . . I. . ."  
  
"NO game, Duo," Hiiro assured, leaning down to kiss the boy again. "I promise."  
  
A smile spread across the braided boy's face, "HIIRO!" he exclaimed, throwing his arms around the boy's neck. The soldier looked uncomfortable for an instant; but it quickly dissolved into the kinder emotions that he associated with Duo, and his arms wrapped around the smaller boy, returning the embrace.  
  
Quatre ran as far away from Duo as he possibly could; and yet, he couldn't escape the jubilant passion that filled his heart.  
  
Tears streamed down his face, blurring his vision. Truthfully, he was happy for his friends, happy that they had finally found each other. But at the same time. . . his own sorrow and longing loneliness was amplified. It tore at his heart and ate at his soul. "T-Trowa. . ." he painfully sobbed, turning a blind corner and slamming into something. With a strangled cry, the blonde felt himself start to fall backwards.  
  
The girl choked on her breath, stifling her urge to throw up, she turned and fled the scene.  
  
Hearing the sounds of foot steps, Duo glanced towards the area.  
  
"Nani?" the Japanese boy asked, following the boy's gaze.  
  
"Nandemoni. . ." Duo shook his head, "I just thought there was someone there. . ."  
  
"Hn."  
  
A hand shot out, clasping around the thin pale arm, steadying the owner and saving him from an indignant fall. "You okay?" the blonde's savior asked, pulling the smaller boy close.  
  
Slowly the boy looked up, "F-Fei?" he whispered, before his body twisted in upon itself, a sudden pain marring his face. With a choking gasp, Quatre collapsed against Altron's pilot.  
  
"Winner! What is it!?" the Chinese boy exclaimed, unsure as of what to do.  
  
"Someone's. . ." the boy gasped, "Wu Fei, help me! Someone's gonna. . ." He couldn't breath; he couldn't speak. The familiar feeling of not being in control overcame him.  
  
And then the boy's body relaxed in the other's arms.  
  
"Quatre?" Wu Fei called, shaking the unresponsive boy slightly. "QUATRE?"  
  
Quatre's eyes held a blank stare in them. "This is all his fault. . ." he whispered, reaching behind his back and pulling out a hidden knife.  
  
"QUATRE!?" the Chinese boy tried, shaking the boy again, only to be shoved away.  
  
"WU FEI!?" someone called, running down the hall.  
  
"Stay back, Barton!" the pilot warned, "He's got a knife!"  
  
"Quatre?" the banged boy gasped, horrified as the blonde placed the blade to his own throat. "Quatre, don't. . ."  
  
"This is all his fault. . ." the blonde repeated, the blade pressing against his pale skin, drawing a thin line of blood.  
  
"What the Hell are you doing!?" Wu Fei shouted, his hands clenching in fists at his side.  
  
"It's not him. . ." Trowa shook his head. "It's like the time in Singapore. . . Someone else's despair is controlling him making him mirror their desires. . . He's not in control."  
  
"What do you mean!?" the Chinese boy demanded.  
  
"Someone on this ship is suicidal, and they're causing Quatre to behave this way!"  
  
"Great! How do we snap him out of it?"  
  
The banged boy shook his head, "Quatre! Listen to me!" he pleaded, "this isn't the Quatre I know!"  
  
A brief glimmer of clarity passed the boy's eyes before disappearing once more into the expressionless doll he had become.  
  
"Quatre, I know you can hear me!" the boy stepped closer, "Little one. . . please. . . fight this!"  
  
The blonde blinked once, then twice. His grip on the blade loosened as awareness crept back into his eyes. Frightened, he dropped the knife. "T- Trowa. . ?" he rasped out before his body teetered and collapsed.  
  
The banged boy was there in an instant to catch him. "Quatre?" he prompted, shaking the boy slightly.  
  
The boy's eyes fluttered open, "Hilde. . ." he groaned, grimacing against invisible pain. "She's gonna. . ."  
  
"Wu Fei!" Trowa commanded, gathering the once more unconscious boy into his arms. "Find Sally, Hiiro and Duo. Go to Hilde's room!"  
  
"R-Right," the raven haired boy acknowledged, glancing between the other two pilots before turning and running to do as he was told.  
  
The banged boy laid the smaller boy onto his bed, and pulled the covers over his shivering body. Frowning slightly, Trowa retrieved a cold cloth to offer some relief for the fever, the boy had developed.  
  
Quatre whimpered when Trowa's hand brushed against his forehead, flinching slightly.  
  
"Quatre. . ." the banged one soothed, "It's alright, Little one." He frowned as the smaller boy began to toss and turn, moaning.  
  
Suddenly, the boy jolted up with a terrified scream. Instantly, arms wrapped around him, offering comfort. "T-Trowa?" the blonde gasped out, his body shaking as he fought to breathe.  
  
"It's alright. . ." the banged boy whispered.  
  
"Hilde. . . Duo. . ."  
  
"Wu Fei is looking into it."  
  
"She's DEAD!" the boy exclaimed, "She killed herself, Trowa! She killed herself!"  
  
"How do you know?"  
  
"I felt it. . ." Quatre sobbed, burying his face into the other boy's shirt, "I felt her. . ."  
  
Trowa held the smaller boy closer, more protectively, as the blonde cried. "Oh, Quat. . ."  
  
Everyone had to turn from the grisly scene that greeted them as they opened the door to Hilde's quarters. Duo bit back a gagging cry, "Oh no. . ."  
  
Hiiro placed a supportive hand on the braided boy's shoulder, before gently pushing him back and away from the mess.  
  
And it was a mess. It nearly turned the stomach of the stoic pilot as he, Wu Fei and Sally stepped in.  
  
It appeared that the girl had pitched a tantrum, trashing her room before she came across a serrated knife. Blood was everywhere, on everything. She had repeatedly stabbed herself before finally slitting her own throat. Her corpse, mangled and blood-drained, had collapsed on the bed, her vacant eyes forever staring into nothingness.  
  
"This is Sally,"The doctor began, talking into a radio, "I need a body bag, and a clean up crew. . ."  
  
"This is injustice." Wu Fei shook his head, "Baka Onna."  
  
"Hn," Hiiro nodded, turning and leaving the room.  
  
Duo agitatedly paced his quarters, wringing the end of his braid in his fingers. "This is all my fault. . . I should have just told her. . . I. . . "  
  
A knock on the door startled the braided boy. "Duo? It's me."  
  
"Hiiro!" the boy exclaimed as the door opened. The Japanese boy stepped in, and the door slid shut. With an observant glance, Hiiro took in the condition of the other boy. He was distraught, his hair was messed, his skin had lost his coloring, and he looked positively ill.  
  
"Duo?" Hiiro began before he was cut off by the other boy assaulting him with a hug.  
  
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" the braided boy cried, "I'm so sorry!"  
  
"Duo. . ." The Japanese boy frowned, uncertainly wrapping his arms around the boy, and holding him, "This wasn't your fault. . ."  
  
Quatre had calmed down, and was now fighting off sleep. Trowa was still holding him, and the smaller boy didn't want to move and ruin the moment.  
  
"I heard you playing earlier today. . ." Trowa began quietly, his chin resting against the top of the smaller boy's head.  
  
The blonde tilted his head up slightly, watching him through sleep pulled eyes.  
  
Trowa continued. "It was beautiful. . . though it sounded depressed compared to the last time I heard you play that song. . ."  
  
"The last time I played. . ?" Quatre blinked in confusion, his mind drawing a blank as to what his friend could mean. "I haven't played that song in a while. . ."  
  
"Just after we met, actually. . . We played it in your music room of the Maganuac's base. . . You were much happier then. It showed."  
  
"How do you know about that?" Quatre shook his head slightly, "did Duo tell you?"  
  
"No."  
  
The blonde's eyes widened, as he moved to face the banged boy directly. "T- Trowa. . ?"  
  
"I remember."  
  
To be continued. . .  
  
A/N: GOMEN NE! for taking so long to update!  
  
::begs for forgiveness::  
  
Almost done with the story.  
  
Let me know what you think!  
  
-  
Weissangel24  
  
P.S. I'll try to update "Family Ties" soon too. 


	24. Chapter Twentyone A

A/N Konnichi wa Minna!

Burnout has received 100 reviews!  
::Flying Tackle Glomp on everyone::

THANK YOU-THANK YOU-THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!

I never thought I would get such a turnout for any of my stories!

::Huggles::

Thank you sooooooooooooooooooo much!

(If you can't tell, I'm really excited!.)

Getting down to business. . .

This is the last chapter that I actually need to finish before I can post my ending chaps.

I have a lot that I want to go on in this chapter, so I'm breaking it up into three parts.

I've also changed the timeline slightly, but that's okay because it is AU.

Anyways. . .

I hope you enjoy this and please keep reviewing!

-

Weissangel24

Chapter twenty-one A

"Isn't the Earth beautiful?" Dorothy cooed.

"It is." Quatre agreed, reaching out to touch the sapphire sphere.

"Watch it as it's destroyed, My dear little brother!" The blonde girl crowed.

"WHA-!"

"WHAT!?"

Quatre bolted awake, the exclamation ringing in the darkness. His bangs stuck to his sweaty forehead. Shaking, the blonde tried to calm his breathing. 'It was so real. . .' He thought, as he peered out of the window towards the magnificent sphere.

"Quatre?" A voice murmured from beside him on his bed.

The smaller boy glanced down at the banged boy, slightly surprised to see him there, "Trowa?" He questioned back.

"We talked for so long; I guess we fell asleep. . ." The boy offered, as he stretched, yawned, and sat up.

"Right. . ." Quatre nodded, the events of the previous evening coming back to him. His talk with Duo, running away, bumping into Wu Fei, Hilde's suicide, Trowa taking care of him. . . Carefully he touched the light, gauzy bandage on his neck, and a slight blush colored his cheeks as he recalled that. . . Trowa remembering. . . catching up on old times. . .

"Are you okay?" The banged boy asked, placing a hand on the smaller boy's shoulder.

"I. . . I'm not. . . sure. . ." He replied uncertainly, "Where's Hiiro?"

"I imagine either in his quarters or on the bridge." Trowa frowned, "Quatre, what's the matter?"

"I think White Fang is about to make their move. . ." The blonde said as he pulled on his shoes and vest.

"What makes you say that?" The banged boy asked, pulling on his own shoes.

"Dorothy."

"Your sister?" Trowa called as the boy ran out of the room and down the hall, "Quatre!?"

They were watching on a huge screen, listening to the communications in a tense silence as the blonde and banged pilots burst into the room.

A horrified gasp escaped the smaller boy, as he took in the scene. Treize had risen a massive army of Mobil Suits from Earth, and was now challenging the Libra and Zechs to a duel to determine the end of this war. They were stationed between Libra, a colony and the Earth.

/. . . My answer. . ./ Zechs' voice was booming, /. . . Is NO!/

/I see./ Treize's voice responded, /That is of course the correct answer, Millardo. . ./

/FIRE THE CANNON!/ Zechs ordered as Libra began to turn.

"THEY'RE FIRING ON THE COLONY!" Duo exclaimed, shaking his head in denial. "THEY CAN'T DO THAT!" The braided boy turned to Hiiro as if he had the answers. The Perfect Soldier didn't look away from the screen. "We've got to stop them, Hiiro!"

"How can they be so weak, as to attack the defenseless colony?" Wu Fei glared.

"They're not. . ." Quatre grimaced, his hand at his chest, tears evident in his eyes.

"Explain." Hiiro demanded, frowning slightly at the smaller boy.

"It's not. . . the colony they're attacking. . ." Quatre shuddered, as he tried to steel himself for what he knew was coming.

"It's the Earth." Trowa finished, stepping forward and resting a supportive hand on the blonde's shoulder.

"They're out of their freakin minds. . ." Duo shook his head, backing away from the screen.

"NOOOOOOOOOO!" Quatre screamed as a brilliant light erupted from the center of Libra, filling the screen, blinding the onlookers.

Helpless, all the pilots could do was watch as the light narrowed into a large laser and hit the Earth with an unforgivable fury.

"QUATRE!" Trowa called, as the blonde doubled in upon himself and collapsed to his knees. The banged one was at his side, offering meager comfort.

"They're gone. . ." The blonde whimpered, the pain in his chest agonizing. Each screaming death resulted in a pinprick of pain followed by an inescapable void. There were millions of them, each one demanding to be heard. "They're all gone!"

"Easy, Quat. . ." Trowa tried to soothe.

"We need to destroy Libra." Wu Fei stated, "I'm going out. Whoever is coming, let's go."

Duo immediately began to follow, just to be halted by a hand on his wrist. Blinking, confused, the boy met Hiiro's eyes. "Let go, Hiiro. . ." The braided boy asked tensely.

"Be careful, Duo." The soldier wished, releasing the boy's wrist.

"You're not coming?" The boy frowned slightly.

"I need to do something first." Hiiro smiled faintly.

Duo nodded, and continued to where the Gundams were being kept.

"Quatre?" Trowa frowned as the smaller boy struggled to get to his feet.

"I'm going, Trowa. . ." the blonde insisted, "This is unforgivable. . ."

"Are you sure you are able?" The banged boy whispered, worriedly.

"He can do it." Hiiro said.

"Thank you, Hiiro." The boy offered before following the braided boy out.

Trowa glanced at the stoic soldier.

"Don't worry." Repeated Hiiro, "He can handle it."

"I never said he couldn't." The banged boy said also heading towards the hanger, Hiiro following behind him.

Quatre absently rubbed at his chest as he prepped Sandrock for battle. The images that plagued his subconscious were near driving him insane. . . and the pain. . .

The blonde squeezed his eyes tightly shut as he stifled a whimper.

"Quatre?" A stoic voice called, as a hand came to rest on his shaking shoulder, "Daijoubu ka?"

Grimacing, the boy opened his eyes, "Hiiro? . . Hai. . . Daijoubu. . ."

"Quatre, I installed the Zero system into Sandrock."

"N-NANI!?" The smaller pilot exclaimed, momentarily forgetting his pain. "Doshite!?"

"Because I believe it will help." Hiiro explained.

"B-But, Hiiro. . . after last time. . . I thought I had proved that it didn't work. . .?" The blonde whispered, frowning at the cockpit floor.

"Quat, when you built Zero, you already weren't in your correct frame of mind." The soldier pointed out. "And your empathic abilities weren't as strong as they are now. I believe that H knew that your sense would grow, and that he built Zero to help contain it so that you would be able to fight. You just got a hold of it prematurely."

"Hiiro. . . I can't. . . What if that wasn't just a freak accident? What if that's the way the system works on me?" The boy shook his head. "I couldn't bare the thought of hurting anyone I care about again. . . of hurting Trowa again. . ."

"But you can do it, Quatre." A new voice encouraged, as someone reached out and took his hand. The blonde looked up to meet a single emerald eye, and the smallest of smiles. "You're strong enough to conquer the system. You just can't let it control you."

"Trowa. . . I. . ."

"Just type in the letters Z.E.R.O. and it will activate." Hiiro said disappearing from the hatch and going to his own Gundam.

"Hiiro!" Quatre called after him.

"Quatre. . ." The banged boy began, hesitantly. "I know it's a lot to ask. . . but. . . Just. . . Just promise me. . . you'll _try_ to make it out of this alive?"

"I will not die today, Trowa. . ." The smaller boy vowed.

The boy's smile broadened slightly, as he squeezed his hand. "Be careful." He ordered before disappearing from the cockpit and making it over to where Heavyarms waited.

"You too. . ." Quatre whispered, slightly dazed. Shaking his head, to clear it; he finished the pre-flight inspections and prepared to exit the hanger.

Space was in absolute chaos.

The forces of the UESN were battling against the White Fang's Mobil dolls; and it didn't appear as if they were winning.

/"Zechs will be waiting for me."/ Hiiro announced, his face popping up on everyone's screens. /"Take your orders from Quatre. Destroy Libra."/

The faces of Wu Fei, Trowa and Quatre all nodded in agreement. Duo, however, appeared really nervous, /"Okay, Hiiro. . ."/ He began. /"Just. . . Please, no suicide missions?"/

/"No worries, Duo."/ The other boy assured, /"I've got a reason to live."/

A smile crossed the braided boy's face, /"See you soon."/ He whispered.

/"We've got to get closer to Libra. . ."/ Quatre's pained voice commanded, /"Trowa, Wu Fei- fly right through the dolls, Duo and I will fire at where they just were."/

/"RIGHT!"/ Three voices confirmed before the orders were followed.

The blonde wiped at his sweat mopped brow before gasping sharply as another death pinched at his soul. Squeezing his eyes shut, he tried not to vomit. 'I can't do this. . .' He thought to himself, 'I'm not strong enough. . .'

Another death, and the boy whimpered, 'At this rate, I'll get us all killed. . .'

Another death, and the blonde swallowed his fear, "I will not allow that to happen!" He told himself fiercely as his fingers flew across the console typing: Z. E. R. O.

The cockpit hummed, and a bright yellow light surrounded the blonde.

He had felt it yet again, the overpowering wall of ice that threatened to force his heart into the darkness of insensibility. Gritting his teeth, the blonde unleashed his resistance; beginning a battle of his own in that raging chaos.

A battle for the control of his fragile mind.

And then it was quiet.

Quatre opened his eyes. The raging storm of emotion, which he had been constantly sensing to the point of driving him to the brink of insanity, was calm. He was able to sense everyone on earth, on Libra, in Treize's army, and his friends. . . and it wasn't overwhelming. He was actually able to breathe without feeling strangled.

And he knew that he had conquered the system.

To be continued. . .

A/N: The part designated by 's was written by Free Skylark.

::huggles::

Thanks Girl! I wouldn't have been able to get this done without your help!

-

Weissangel24


	25. Chapter Twentyone B

::points:: look minna! I updated!

I apologize for taking so long!

I've had the worst case of writer's block EVER!

I mean seriously bad.

If it weren't for Free Skylark and her suggestions

(Which I used a lot of)

This would have taken me much longer!

So please enjoy.

Xx

Chapter twenty-one B

Xx

Hiiro frowned as he watched his monitors. Epyon was waiting for him, and inside that Gundam was Zechs.

'Duo. . .' The 'Perfect Soldier's thoughts drifted to the energetic pilot of Death, 'No matter what happens here. . . please. . .be alright. . .'

Xx

Aboard MOII, Lady Une watched the ongoing battle with a sense of nostalgic admiration. She understood the desire to fight; but she now understood the worthlessness of the seemingly endless bloodshed. After years of conflict, perhaps it was time to hear the final clash of sword upon sword, and revel in the peaceful calmness after that, when the stone finally sinks to the bottom of the lake. No more waves or ripples to disturb the quiet. . .

But if only the stones would stop being thrown. . .

Xx

/ "If we are to destroy Libra, we must do it from inside the station."/ Quatre's clear voice instructed. / "Find the Mobil Doll command center and destroy it. With out the dolls, White Fang has no army."/

/ "What about the cannon?"/ Duo asked as his frowning face popped up on the screen. / "Even if we destroy the MD's, they can still use the cannon to destroy the earth!"/

/ "We'll have to worry about that after we stop the Dolls."/ The blonde commanded, leaving no room for arguments.

/ "Right!"/ The braided boy responded enthusiastically, as he flew threw, destroying two Mobil suits. / "See ya on the flip side!"/

/ "Quatre. . ."/ Sally's voice called from across the radio frequency. / "Leave the cannon to us. We'll take it out."/

The blonde blinked surprised, "Are you sure, Sally?"

/ "Of course."/ The doctor grinned. / "Just carry out your own mission."/

"Thank you, Sally." The boy offered, with a slight smile that disappeared almost instantaneously as his expression became as serious as the impending situation. "Did everyone hear that?" He asked.

/ "Yes."/ Came the various responses.

"Good, then continue to Libra and stop those dolls."

/ "You go on without me. . .You can handle this. . ."/ Wu Fei cut in, as Altron changed course.

/ "WU FEI!?"/ Quatre called, watching with dismay as his friend flew off into the pandemonium that was the battle.

/ "It's alright, Quatre."/ Trowa's soothing voice calmed, / "He's keeping an old promise."/

The blonde's image nodded, / "Be careful."/ He ordered before cutting the transmission and concentrating on his mission.

Xx

/ "I'm here, Zechs."/ Hiiro announced, his grip tightening on Wing's controls.

/ "and I'm going to win."/

/ "We shall see. . ."/ the leader of White Fang taunted as Epyon swung his sword to attack the white suit. / "There can only be one victor, Hiiro! And that won't be you!"/ 

And the battle erupted in a blur of crimson and white, silhouetted against the jet-black vastness of space.

Xx

Altron slashed through Mobil Doll after Mobil Doll, steadily making his way towards Treize's battle.

"Get ready, Treize." He challenged, "When I'm through here, I'm gonna put your integrity to the test!"

/I look forward to it, Wu Fei./ The aristocrat accepted.

Xx

Quatre held his gun ready to aim if he needed too, as he stalked down one corridor after another. He could feel in his heart, how close his enemies were in proximity to him; and he was taking great care in avoiding them. Yet amongst all of the enemies that threatened to surround him, one screamed out the loudest, drowning all others.

One screamed for his blood.

He knew who it was. He knew it was calling him, beckoning him into a trap. A trap he probably wouldn't live through. . .

Xx

'I hate this. . .' Shinigami sulked, from inside Deathscythe Hell 'I want to go and find Hiiro, but what I end up doing is finding these quacks. . .'

/"Just remember, Duo. . ."/ G's nasally voice ordered, from the com link /"As long as one of us gets to Peacemillion, then we can complete our mission."/

/"So don't worry if one of us falls off."/ J added.

/"Don't worry, I won't."/ Duo frowned, /"I have enough things to worry about as it is. . ."/

'Hiiro. . .'

Xx

The thin boy pressed himself against the wall as a group of terrorists passed by. Nervously, he bit on his lower lip. He couldn't afford to be caught.

When the danger had passed, the blonde released the breath he had been holding and continued down the hall till he reached an iron door. To others in might have seemed as just another door in that giant of a warship, but the blonde could practically see the waves of hate radiating from the 'passive' iron.

The door opened; azure met its twin in the murky Darkness. But while one shone with the spirit within, the other blue was merely the mouth of a bottomless abyss of hatred.

He knew that it was time to end the matter, and there was no getting away from that.

Nervously, he swallowed. "D-Dorothy. . ."

"Quatre Rababa Winner." The girl sneered, leveling a gun at him, "You sad, pathetic loser."

BANG 

Xx

A piercing pang of fear hit the banged boy's heart without mercy. Staggering slightly, Trowa fired his gun off at two Whitefang soldiers, killing them instantly. Sagging against the cold steel wall, he absently rubbed at his chest beneath his spacesuit, as he tried to catch his breath.

"Quatre. . ." He whispered, finding new strength to push himself down the corridor. "Please be alright. . ."

Xx

To be continued. . .

A/N: Thanks again to Free Skylark for all of your help!

Couldn't have done this without you!

::huggles::

-

Weissangel24


	26. Chapter Twentyone C

I could not have done this with out Free Skylark's help.

She helped me brainstorm and place events in fitting places

Word things so that they made sense

As well as write most of the end scene for this chapter.

::huggles:: thank you so very much!

I hope you enjoy reading this.

Weissangel24

XxX

Chapter twenty-one C

XxX

He stared at the rapier that was embedded into the floor, for several moments before meeting the crazed gaze of the other. Quatre swallowed hard as he stepped away from his half-sister and the sharp weapon she wielded.

"Oh. . . come on now. . ." She pouted, "I know you came to play. . ."

"I can't die today, Dorothy." The boy said evenly, "I gave him my word."

She smirked, "Then I guess you're just going to have to break your promise, now won't you!" She ended with a yell that punctuated her lunging attack.

"I'm begging you, Dorothy. . . don't do this." The boy pleaded managing to dodge out of the way.

"BEGGING!?" the girl shrieked, swiping at him with her sword, narrowly missing him. "Since when does the all powerful WINNER heir beg?"

XxX

Wu Fei tried to quell the anxious feelings that stirred in his heart and his gut. The other pilots didn't realize how important this was to him, as he had never spoken of it: but Trowa knew enough that he had told Quatre to let him go.

And now, he was here.

Waiting.

With no clue as to what he was going to do, or what would happen.

His sense of justice simply telling him that something must be done. The Chinese boy just prayed that when the time came, he would know how to deal with his adversary.

XxX

"Hiiro. . ." Duo breathed as he caught a glimpse of his koi's fight on his monitor. Wing Zero appeared to have sustained minimal damage, but Epyon was relentless in its assault.

XxX

"If you are so intent on surviving, then I suggest you defend yourself, Little brother." Dorothy glared, "I don't like playing with broken toys."

"I'm not a toy, Dorothy!" Quatre countered, narrowly being missed by a wild swing.

"Yes you are." She sneered, "You're a mindless little puppet that does whatever is asked of you."

"If that were true, I wouldn't be here! I'd be locked up in L4 where father would dictate my every move! I won't live like that! I'm not a toy!" He growled grabbing the rapier from is sheath in the floor and brought it to bare just in time to parry another attack.

"You may not be father's toy any longer," she smirked triumphantly as she circled the smaller teenager like a predator its' prey. "But you are still a toy."

"PROVE IT!" The boy shouted, launching an attack of his own.

Dorothy glowed with self-satisfaction, as she defended herself. "You defy father, because your instructor tells you to. You fight because your comrades tell you to. You struggle to stay alive because he told you not to die, and you fight me because I have made you."

Quatre gasped horrified, his sword falling from his hand "No. . ."

"Everyone around you pulls your strings to make you do what they want. You're nothing but a marionette." She raised her sword, "And now I will cut your strings!"

"DOROTHY!" The boy cried, "You're Mistak-. . ."

The girl flipped a hand through her hair with a smug look of superiority as she watched her brother choke on his words; her sword sheathed deep into his abdomen to the point it stuck out of his back.

Quatre blinked rapidly, as his entire body shook in shock. Swallowing hard, he tried not to scream as Dorothy ripped the blade from his torso. Doubling over, he could feel his mind start to fog, and his vision blur. "T-Trowa. . ." He whispered sorrowfully.

"And now, even without your strings, you remain a puppet as you will die because I have made you."

"Y-You're w-wrong, Dorothy. . ." He gasped out, "Anything th-that I've done. . . is because I-I've wanted to. . ."

"You're so full of it!" She screamed at him, "You're a toy! A MISERABLE BROKEN TOY!"

"I'm not a toy, Dorothy. . ." He said between gritted teeth. "You are. The marionette of war! I wanted to leave father. . . I-I wanted to fight for the colonies. . .with my f-friends. . . I-I want to l-live. . ." The boy grimaced in agony. "A-And I w-wanted you to u-understand. . . You've hated me for too long. . . and why?. . . Because unlike you. . . I can do what I want. . . break away from expectations. . .B-But your grandfather dictates your life. . . killing me. . . the princess. . ."

"You bastard." Dorothy seethed, slapping him across his pale face. "You don't know of what you speak!"

"Even now. . . Y-You deny it?. . . I feel s-sorry for you, Dorothy. . ." Weakly, he offered her a small smile, before falling into the merciful abyss of darkness.

XxX

/ "As of yesterday 99,822 people."/

/ "We have confirmations of 82 White Fang soldiers. . . and 105 of our own."/

/ "I see, give me their names later."/

Wu Fei had been stunned. This wasn't the monster he had learned to hate.

/ "Please try to understand this. . . not one of those people have died in vain! AAAAAAHHHH!"/

Treize's attack had come so suddenly, only Wu Fei's fighting instinct had saved him. . . but at the same time. . . had killed Treize.

Now, the Chinese warrior sat in his cockpit, drifting through space, crying out his pent up frustrations and anger. "I didn't think I'd win. . ."

XxX

A solitary tear slid down Lady Une's face before she stood straight, and addressed her soldiers. "Contact the White Fang and inform us of our surrender."

"WHAT!?" Several voices exclaimed surprised.

"THIS IS HUMILIATING, DON'T MAKE ME REPEAT MYSELF – SEND THEM THE MESSAGE!" She yelled.

"Right!" her subordinates acknowledged as they hurried to carry out her order.

"Mr. Treize. . . You were splendid."

XxX

Trowa burst into the room, weapon ready.

"Hn." Came a cynical smirk. "So you're the one he thinks so highly of?"

"Where is he?" the banged boy demanded, his gun not leaving the shadowy figure. "Where is Quatre?"

"Kit-Quat?" She purred as she approached, examining her nails with more concern than she gave the angry pilot. "He's floating around here somewhere." She smirked, "Damn Zero gravity. Makes it difficult, if not impossible to keep track of bodies."

"What?" He chocked out, his gun hand shaking.

"Oh." She smiled, nodding to the left of the pilot. "There he is."

The banged boy hesitantly looked where she had gestured. What he saw made his blood run cold. A sharp pain shot through his heart, and his breath hitched in his chest, "Quatre. . ."

The limp body drifted lifelessly, a trail of blood floating in its wake. The owner's face was ashen pale; his eyes closed. There was no acknowledgment or any sign that he was still alive.

"Quatre!" He called as he pushed himself to meet the boy. Upon reaching him, Trowa wrapped his arms around the frail body and brought him back down to the floor.

Dorothy sneered as she watched the banged pilot carefully remove her brother's helmet, "If he's not dead yet, he will be soon. Don't waste your time."

"Quatre?" He whispered, ignoring the girl's taunts. He held the boy close, running his gloved fingers through the blonde's sweat matted hair, "Please, Quatre. . . Don't leave me. . ." There was blood everywhere, but he couldn't tell from where it came or how badly the boy was injured. "Quatre. . . please?"

A tear slipped down his cheek as he leaned closer and gently placed a kiss on the boy's pale forehead. "I need you. . ."

Dull azure eyes forced themselves open. "T-Trowa?" the voice strained, a pain filled happiness tugged at his lips as he weakly reached up and wiped away the sapphire drops of loss away. "Y-You came. . . I-I knew you w-would. . ."

"Quat!" Trowa exclaimed with relief, "I was so afraid that you were dead. . ."

"No. . . I'm still wince alive. . ." He smiled forcefully, "The mission. . . have you?"

"No." The banged boy shook his head. "I had a more important mission to complete."

"D-Did you?"

"I found you didn't I?" He offered a small smile as he felt his cheeks redden.

"Yes. . ." Quatre replied as he smiled back, his own cheeks flushing rather cutely.

"I think I'm going to hurl." Dorothy mocked; making a face as she pretended to gag herself.

Trowa shot her a hateful glare. "You're fortunate that he was not killed."

"I'm sure." She scoffed.

Quatre grimaced as he felt the taller pilot's body tense with evident anger, "Don't Trowa. . ." He whispered, his gloved fingers curling tightly into the other pilot's spacesuit. The banged boy looked at him questioningly. "She's. . . not worth it. . . she never. . . has been. . ." The blonde explained. "Besides. . . Someone has got to finish the mission. . ."

The banged pilot stared into the other's eyes for several moments before nodding, "Will you be alright?"

"I'll be fine. . ." Quatre assured, pushing him away. "Just go!"

XxX

Duo watched as the mad five drift to where the wreckage of Peacemillion rested after Sally had rammed it into Libra's center, knocking out it's main cannon. They planned on destroying White Fang's ship by destroying Sally's.

Personally, to Duo, it seemed to be a suicide mission.

"Yeah, I'll be real choked up to see them die." He said a bit angrily as he left them to help fight the Mobile Dolls. "Yep, that'd be a real shame."

XxX

Trowa frowned as he sliced through one grid of cables after another. Although Quatre was right, someone did need to complete the mission, he knew Quatre needed medical attention. He glanced over to where the smaller boy was propped up against the wall. "Quatre?"

"W-what time is it, T-Trowa?" He gasped out as he fought to keep his eyes open.

"23:34. Why?"

"I-I'll make it . . ."the boy smiled painfully, as he let out a sigh of relief.

"Quatre. .?" Trowa prompted as he sliced through the final grid.

From the other side of the room, Dorothy sneered, "Worried about breaking your promise?"

"Shut up, Dorothy!" Quatre hissed, doubling over on himself. "For once in your life, shut up!"

"Quatre. . ." Trowa's kind voice beckoned him, a gentle hand resting on his shoulder. "Mission complete. Let's get out of here. Can you stand?"

"T-Trowa. . ." The boy grimaced as the banged boy helped him to his feet, and supported him, "What about her?"

Trowa glared over at the blonde girl, "I think she can help herself." He said curtly as they headed towards the exit. "You said it, yourself. . . she's not worth it."

"R-Right. . ."

"I WON, QUATRE!" Dorothy shouted after them, "I WON!"

"No, Dorothy." The blonde whispered so quietly that Trowa barely heard him. "No one won."

XxX

As the explosion died down, Duo turned Deathscythe, ready to face his next enemy; only to find that he was now amidst a Mobile Suit graveyard. "Hey. . . They stopped moving. . ."

XxX

/"You've lost, Zechs."/ Hiiro said over the radio. /"White Fang has been defeated."/

/"It's not over yet. I'm still alive."/ Zechs retaliated, pressing a button on Epyon's console.

XxX

Quatre screamed out as an explosion tore him from Trowa's arms, and sent them both flying.

"Quatre!" Trowa cried, rushing over to where the blonde lay.

"What was that?"

"Not good. . ." Trowa frowned, holding the other close. "Can you still pilot?"

"Yes." Quatre replied without hesitation.

The banged boy frowned unconvinced, "Are you sure?"

"I have to, Trowa. There are no shuttles, and we both won't fit into one Gundam."

Trowa sighed, "You're right."

"I'll be okay." The blonde tried to smile. "Really."

"I left Heavyarms next to Sandrock."

The ship around them groaned and shuddered.

"Trowa, I think we should hurry."

XxX

/ "What did you do, Zechs!?"/ Hiiro demanded.

/ "If I can't win, neither will the Earth. Libra is on a collision course."/

/ "Damn You."/ The perfect soldier growled abandoning his fight with Zechs in favor of stopping the Libra.

XxX

/"We're going to have to smash our way out of here."/ Quatre said as their exit became blocked.

/ "Let's go then. . ."/ Trowa said opening fire on the wall.

XxX

She sat alone in the deserted room, the peaceful silence finally telling her what she hated to hear. But that did not change the truth. The stone had finally come to the bottom of the lake, and there would be no more ripples. No more wars, or strife to keep her busied away from the gnawing weakness inside her.

As much as she abhorred it, she knew that Quatre had been right.

"Damn him fro what his is." She growled to the silent Libra.

Everyone had abandoned the ship; the battle was over. Treize was dead and his troops had stopped fighting. Zechs had used his Ace, the Earth would be destroyed. It was quiet at last, though most people didn't know what had happened yet. She, however, knew it well.

It was over.

XxX

A blur of white, Zero came to stand before the colossal hunk of metal that was Libra. It was time to end this mission, and one more blast was needed. He had to do it for all of them; Duo, Trowa, Quatre, Wu Fei. . . They were all tired of this war, and it was high time it was stopped.

Gripping the controls tightly, he fired their last hope.

XxX

/"GO, QUATRE! GO!"/ Trowa ordered, when they had finally broken through Libra's outer hull only to be greeted by the Wing Zero as it fired its beam cannon. Harshly, Heavyarms pushed Sandrock out the small hole, quickly following himself.

On full thrusters, they flew out of the way.

XxX

Dorothy looked before here at the yellow beam piercing the black expanse of space. The war. . . her life. . . flashed before her. . . Growing up, trying to kill her brother. . . Living with her grandfather, Romefeller, OZ, Pro-Treize, White Fang, her final fight. . . and then. . . nothing. No more bloodshed, nothing to give the girl a reason to live.

The beam coming towards her reminded her of certain golden locks she knew, the smile that shone warming others like the sun. And she had put that out. It was ironic, really, but she understood what he was trying to tell her.

However, it was already over.

XxX

Libra exploded, the power of its destruction finally sweeping away like the shadow of death. Life was back again, and the whole universe seemed to radiate happiness.

But a price had to be paid.

XxX

To be continued. . .

A/N This is the last chapter I had to write.

The rest of the story is complete and is just waiting to be posted.

Thanks once again to Free Skylark

Weissangel24


	27. Chapter Twentytwo

Author's note: I don't own Pokemon. Ooc warning for just about everyone for the remainder of the story. -; Hopefully, it's not as bad as I think it is. . .

XxX

Chapter Twenty-two

XxX

/"How are you doing, Quatre?"/ Trowa asked, concern dripping from his voice.

The blonde struggled to keep his eyes open. His wound still bled and he was feeling light headed, "Fine, Trowa. . .I'm fine. . ." He lied.

Trowa's image popped up onto a static screen, /"Are you sure?"/ His gaze scrutinized the blonde's condition.

Quatre tried to smile, "Sure. . ." He grimaced.

/"Quatre, how bad is it?"/ The banged boy demanded.

"I'm . . . Not sure. . ." Quatre said pitching forward, unconscious, onto his pilot controls.

/"QUATRE!"/ Trowa yelled as Sandrock suddenly dipped and began to fall away into empty space. In a panic, the banged pilot sent Heavyarms after him. /"Quatre. . ."/ He called desperately, /"Quatre, answer me!"/

Slowly, the blonde stirred and moaned, coming around. "Trowa. . .?" He whispered, weakly, "I'm not feeling so good. . ."

/"Hang in there!"/ The banged boy ordered, /"I'll get you to a doctor-."/

His transmission was cut off by an interruption from Deathscythe, /"WE DID IT!"/ Duo whooped, /"WE WON!"/

/"You're crazy, Maxwell./" Wu Fei said, with a grin, as Altron flew up to join the masses to the MO satellite. /"Hiiro is waiting for us on board the satellite."/

Duo's grin grew wider, /"He's okay?"/

/"Far as I can tell."/

Duo looked around, /"Trowa, you okay?"/

/"I'm fine."/

/"Hey, where's Quatre?"/

"I'm here. . ." The blonde responded, wincing as he fought to control the Gundam.

/"Hey, what do you say we celebrate with some expensive champagne?"/ Duo's grin could be heard through his voice.

Quatre couldn't help himself. Despite his pain, he had to smile too, "As long as it's non-alcoholic. . ." He joked.

/"You got it!"/ Duo agreed, before letting out a whoop of joy, /"WE DID IT!!!"/

XxX

One by one, the remaining Mobil Suites and Gundams flew in to MO II.

Deathscythe and Altron landed, with no incidences. Both suites were badly damaged though, and they would need intense impairs.

"As if we're gonna need it. . ." Duo snorted, "What do you think about that, eh, buddy? No more battles!"

"You really are out of your mind." Wu Fei smirked, slapping the braided boy on his back. "But you're right. We don't have to fight anymore."

"Come on! Let's find Hiiro and Sally!" Duo laughed, pulling the Chinese boy behind him.

"You don't have to pull, Maxwell." Wu Fei said with mild annoyance.

"You're too slow!" Duo shot back, letting go and running ahead.

XxX

Hiiro nervously scanned the crowd. There were a lot of soldiers and reporters surrounding him, trying to thank him, congratulate him, asking him questions, taking his picture and generally making him feel uncomfortable. He felt like he was standing out in the crowd, and it went against everything he was taught. 'It wouldn't be so bad, if Duo were here. . .' The Wing Pilot thought, trying to quell the urge to kill everyone of these damned reporters and their flash photography.

"Hiiro!" A loud voice called over the drum of news hounds.

The Japanese boy perked at the sound, "Duo!" He called, waving his hand in trying to get the braided boy's attention, "DUO!"

The amethyst eyes brightened at the sight of the Wing Pilot, "Hiiro!" Duo waved, pushing his way through the crowd until he could throw his arms around the hero's neck. "DON'T EVER SCARE ME LIKE THAT AGAIN!" He demanded before giving him another hug.

"I don't have the need to, anymore!" Hiiro assured him, as he tried to escape the crowd.

Once they were alone, Duo was ready to bombard the pilot with a ton of questions when he what ever he was about to say was cut off as Hiiro leaned in and kissed him. Surprised, the braided boy happily succumbed to the sweet, and slightly possessive, gesture of affection.

"Hiiro. . ." He gasped when the Japanese boy finally released him. "Wow. . ."

Hiiro smirked.

"Wow. . ."

Hiiro smiled slightly, and kissed him again. This one was gentler and passionate, communicating everything that the Japanese pilot couldn't put into words. "Aishiteru, Duo. . ." He whispered as he broke contact.

"I. . . I . . .Uh. . ." Duo sputtered, his brain gone to jello in the after math of the kiss. "Wow. . ."

Hiiro shook his head and wrapped his arms around the braided boy embracing him lovingly. . . until his hands ran over a piece of paper. Frowning the Japanese boy pulled away, and looked at the slip. "I'm Shinigami, and I love to watch Saturday morning anime in my Pikachu boxers. . ." He looked at Duo, "What's this?"

Duo snatched the paper away from his Koi. Scowling, he read it again, his face growing a deep shade of red, "WU FEI!!!!"

XxX

The Chinese boy smirked as the ranting of the great Shinigami reached above the buzz of the crowds.

"What was that?" Sally asked.

"I'm just serving up some justice." He replied, leading her to somewhere less crowded.

XxX

Sandrock came in for a rough landing. If it hadn't been for Heavyarms, the massive suite would have caused some major damage. After the suit was under control, Trowa skillfully maneuvered his Gundam to its place in front of the cat walk. Quatre somehow had managed to do the same.

The hatch of Sandrock's cockpit opened, and the blonde stumbled out. He gave Heavyarms a weak, regretful smile before his legs buckled and he fell to the cat walk. He lay in an unconscious, bloody heap. His crimson life force spread out, staining the blackened metal of the walk.

XxX

To be continued. . .


	28. Chapter Twentythree

XxX

Chapter Twenty-three

XxX

"NO!" Trowa cried as he leapt out of Heavyarms. "QUATRE!" He rushed forward and gathered the smaller boy into his arms. "Quatre!"

Slowly, the boy's eyes cracked open, "T. . .Tr. . .Trowa. . ." He choked out in between gasps of pain. "I'm . . .I'm so sorry. . ."

"Quatre, don't speak. You must save your strength until I can find a doctor. . ." Trowa pleaded, trying to stench the blood flow, "You're going to be alright. . ."

The blonde shook his head weakly, "Don't Go!" There was panic in his voice; tears in his eyes. They were tears of pain and sorrow. His fingers dug into the banged boy's shirt in desperation that was mirrored in his expression. "Don't leave me alone. . ." he pleaded, "I don't want to be alone, Trowa. . .I. . ."

"I have to find a doctor. . ." Trowa insisted, tears welled in his eyes. "If I don't you'll. . ."He shook his head vehemently, "Quatre, you have to hold on!"

"I. . .I can't . . .Trowa. . .I'm sorry. . .I. . ." His eyes slid closed.

"No, Quatre, please. . .Don't give up. . ."

The rhythm of his breathing becoming less erratic but shallower, until at last his chest rose and fell for one final time, and the boy went limp.

"Quatre. . ." Trowa whispered, shaking the boy slightly, "Quatre, open your eyes. . ." There was no response from the bleeding boy. "Damn it, Quatre!" He swore, lying the boy flat on his back and beginning CPR, "I will NOT lose you like this!" He made no attempt to hide his desperation, nor his fear of losing his little one. His tears streamed down his face and splashed onto the still boy. "Do you hear me, Quatre?" He demanded, between chest compressions and breath counts, "I'm NOT going to lose you this way! Damn it!" He swore again, "I just got you back!"

XxX

Rashid was worried about his young master. During the battle, the boy sounded tired, as was expected after fighting so hard. However, there was a strain in his voice that was out of place, and that greatly concerned him. So he and Auda had split up the Maganac and searched the Resource satellite MII for the blonde teenager.

It wasn't long before they ran into Trowa. The boy was near hysterics as he counted the rhythms of CPR, and whispered mumbled pleas to the lifeless form he was hunched over. The banged boy was covered with blood.

"Master Trowa?" Rashid approached hesitantly.

"He won't wake up. . ." Trowa told them, through his tears. "He won't breath . . . Please, Quatre. . ."

The burly Arabian roughly shoved the boy aside and took over the CPR for him. The banged boy was about to protest, maybe even try and fight the larger man, but a strong hand restricted him. Looking up, Trowa saw the kind and concerned face of Auda. "Please. . ." He begged.

"We won't let anything happen to him if we can help it." The Arabian assured before ordering the others to fan out and find a doctor along with the other Gundam pilots. Immediately, the orders were carried out.

XxX

Hiiro and Duo supported each other as they staggered down the corridor. Both were tired and lacked the energy to do anything.

"So what is the first thing you're going to do with this new found peace?" Duo asked.

"Sleep without worrying about a mission coming in." The Japanese boy said in complete seriousness.

Duo gapped at him, before a grin crossed his face and he chuckled lightly, "Sounds good, Hiiro. Actually, it sounds great."

Suddenly, Wu Fei pushed by them, followed closely by Sally, and a team of medical personal.

"Oi," The braided boy called after them, "What's the hurry?"

"Quatre's hurt." Wu Fei called back to them. "Bad."

The boys exchanged a glance before finding new strength and bolting after them.

XxX

It was the longest twelve hours Trowa ever had to endure. Hiiro, and Duo stood by him as Wu Fei helped Sally load the lifeless body onto a gurney. The doctor then had climbed on board and straddled the blonde as she continued with CPR as the rushed to the Medical wing. Sally had managed to get the blonde's heart started, but it was a very shaky rhythm that stopped every couple of minutes. Upon their arrival, blood and other fluids were attached by IV's along with various monitors. The medical team then went to work on stitching the boy up and repairing as much of the damage as possible.

"What happened?" Duo had asked.

"Dorothy." Trowa replied, not breaking his trance like stare from the door.

"That Bitch." Wu Fei swore.

The doors slid open and everyone snapped to attentions as Sally exited the OR.

Everyone showed expressions of concern.

The doctor sighed tiredly. She looked s if she had been crying.

Everyone sensed foreboding news.

"Sally?" Wu Fei prompted.

The doctor took a deep, shaking breath, and tried to keep a professional façade. After what seemed like forever, she opened her mouth to speak. Her voice was shaky with emotions and fresh tears welled up in her eyes. "The surgeons have been able to repair most of the damage." She said in a quiet voice, "However. . ." she choked. The tears fell from her eyes. Hastily she brushed them away and sniffled to regain some composure. "However," she continued, "The damage was far to great and he's lost too much blood. . .There's nothing more we can do. . ."

"He's. . .He's dead?" Duo choked out, his violet eyes wide with shock, as his legs gave out from under him.

"Duo!" Hiiro caught the braided boy and set him in a chair. "Daijoubu??" He asked worriedly, "Duo?" The braided boy didn't answer.

"Quatre. . ." Trowa whispered, his emerald eyes glistening with tears as he shook in denial.

"He's not dead yet. . ." Sally amended, "But it won't be long until he is." She wiped her eyes again, turning to Trowa, "He's asking for you. . ."

The banged boy blinked, "F. . .For me?" He asked, "Why me?"

Hiiro placed a hand on the taller boy's shoulder. "You should go and see him. You'll regret it if you don't. . ." Mutely, Trowa nodded and another doctor led him to the blonde's room.

Wu Fei wrapped Sally in a caring embrace as she cried into his shoulder. His own tears cascaded down his cheeks.

Duo hadn't moved since Hiiro had shown him his chair. His eyes were still wide with shock and his mouth hung open slightly.

Hiiro frowned and knelt in front of the braided boy. "Duo. . ." He called gently, nudging his knee slightly. "Duo, talk to me. . ." He reached up and brushed back some of the chestnut colored bangs, "Duo. . ."

A single tear outlined Duo's heart shaped face as he met Hiiro's eyes. "Quatre. . ." he whispered, sounding lost.

"I know, Duo. . ." Hiiro nodded, "I know. . ."

A sob hitched in Duo's throat, "It's not right. . ." His voice was so quiet, Hiiro barely heard him.

"It'll be okay, Duo. . ." Hiiro tried to assure the boy, "It'll be okay. . ."

Duo shook his head slowly. His vision began to blur and he suddenly fell forward in his chair.

"DUO!" Hiiro cried, catching the boy and holding him close. "Duo!"

Sally and Wu Fei were immediately by the Japanese boy. "What's wrong?" Wu Fei asked as Sally pulled out her pen light and shined it in the braided boy's eyes.

"He fainted." She said. "He went into shock and he fainted."

"Duo doesn't faint." Hiiro glared.

Sally sighed, "With the stress from the battle and the death of Hilde; Quatre's fate was too much for him to process. . ." She gestured for the boy to follow her, "I have an extra bed where you can put him until he wakes."

Hiiro gathered the braided boy into his arms and followed their Doctor, ally . . . friend.

XxX

Trowa swallowed the lump in his throat. Quatre lay pale and still in a hospital bed. There was an oxygen mask covering his face, and different machines and monitors. Each beeped rhythmically, tracking the minutes left in the blonde's precious life.

He looked so pale. . . like a frail, delicate piece of glass. . . like he could just break by a simple touch. Yet, Trowa knew that this image of Quatre was wrong. The little Arabian was possibly the strongest person he had ever known.

/_This image was wrong_./

He had rebelled against his family.

/_This wasn't the Quatre he knew_./

He had fought against OZ.

/_He wasn't weak. . ._ /

He had survived self detonation. . .

_/He was strong. . ./_

He had survived his empathic terrors. . .

_/He was the strongest of all. . ./_

He conquered the Zero system!

_/This was all wrong. . ./_

Quatre had found him. . . Restored his memories!

_/This can't be happening!/_

He had been wounded in battle. . .

_/I can't lose him. . ./_

And he still fought. . .

/_This image was wrong – ALL WRONG!/_

Quatre was the strongest person he had ever known. . .

/_I love him. . ._ /

"Quatre. . .?" His voice cracked with emotions and was barely audible.

Slowly, dull aquamarine eyes cracked open and sought him out. They had lost their brilliance, the life that had shone like a beckon to lost souls such as himself.

Trowa shook his head, "Quatre. . ."

A small, weak smile crossed the blonde's face. "Trowa. . ." He whispered, his voice muffled by the oxygen mask.

"You . . . You wanted to see me?" The banged boy asked. His heart felt as if it were being ripped out.

Quatre raised a shaky hand to the mask and feebly tried to remove it.

"Quatre – Don't!" Trowa exclaimed, reaching out to stop him.

The blonde grimaced before turning his gaze back to the taller boy, "Please, Trowa . . . " He pleaded. Trowa shook his head in refusal. "It'll be alright, Trowa . . . Please . . .?"

"Quatre. . ." The banged boy bowed his head, his bangs covering his face. After a few moments he nodded and reached over to remove the mask.

"Trowa. . ." Quatre called, his hand weakly reached out to the taller boy.

Trowa bit his lip and grasped it, "Yes, Quatre?"

"I wanted to make sure you were okay. . ."

Trowa stared at the boy. Here he was, dying, and he was more concerned with others. . .still. Trowa couldn't help it, a smile crossed his face.

"Are you okay?" the blonde asked.

"Iie," He whispered, "I'm losing my best friend, my savior and my. . ._love_. . .and I don't want to. . ."

"Love?" Quatre's brow furrowed slightly in disbelief.

"Yes, Quatre. . ." Trowa sniffled, "You're my love, I love you. . . I always have. . ."

A smile crossed the blonde's face as tears of joy and sorrow filled Quatre's eyes, "Oh, Trowa. . ." He sighed, "I love you too. . . I'm sorry I never told you. . . but I didn't want to ruin our friendship. . ."

Trowa kissed the boy's hand, "Neither did I. . ." He chuckled bitterly, "I am such a fool. . ."

"No more than me. . ."

A silence fell between them and Quatre's breathing began to dwindle. Soon his eyes slid closed.

"Quatre?" Trowa called, a note of fear in his voice.

"I'm still here. . ." Quatre sighed warily, "I'm worried about Duo . . . about the others. . . I've never sensed them this strongly before. . ."

"I'm sure Hiiro will take care of him." Trowa assured.

"Promise that you'll all look after each other?" The boy grimaced.

"I promise, Koi . . ."

More silence.

"I'm tired, Trowa . . ." Quatre whispered, his eyes closing. "Everyone is in such pain. . . We won the war. . . They should be celebrating. . ."

"Victory came at a high price. . ."

The aquamarine eyes cracked open again and he looked at the banged boy. He was crying. Trowa was openly crying. "Trowa . . ." Quatre whispered, his voice weaker than ever. "Koi, please . . . don't cry. . . it'll be alright. . ."

"Quatre, I don't want to lose you. . .None of us do. . ."

"Have you ever had a migraine?" The smaller boy asked.

Trowa blinked at the odd question, "Iie . . ." He shook his head.

"It's like a raging storm. . .Trapped inside your head. . . Fighting. . .Fighting with all its. .. fury to get out. . ." Quatre grimaced, his small hand tightening around Trowa's. "Duo. . ." He murmured.

Trowa ran his fingers through the blonde's bangs, brushing them from the pain contorted face as he moved to sit on the edge of the bed, "Easy, Quatre." He soothed.

"A storm. . ." Quatre whispered, his eyes locking Trowa in place. There was a new desperateness in them. "That's what it's like. . . a raging storm trying to tear me apart from the inside out!" Pain ripped through him, but he did not break eye contact. "But it's not just in my head, Trowa. . ." he gasped out, "It's in my heart too. . ."

"Your empathy. . ." Trowa whispered in understanding.

Quatre nodded, before his small form twisted in agony. A small cry escaped his lips. The banged boy reached out and gathered the smaller boy into his arms and held him close. Soon the blonde calmed and buried his face into Trowa's black jumpsuit.

"Trowa. . ." He whispered, sadly, "I don't want to die . . . really, I don't . . . but. . . I'm so . . . tired. . ." Trowa's embrace tightened, "And it . . . hurts so much. . ."

"It's okay, Little One. . ." The banged boy swallowed the lump in his throat as he fought to keep his voice steady, "I-I understand. . ."

"Thank you, Trowa. . ."

"Iie, Koi. It is I who should be thanking you." More tears fell, "You've done so much, for all of us. . . For me. . ."

"Duo . . . will hate me. . ."

"But I will always love you, Quatre. . ." The banged boy placed a gentle kiss on the blonde's forehead.

A small smile crossed the blonde's face, "Aishiteru, Trowa. . ." He said with a sigh.

And then he was at peace, the smile of contentment on his face.

Trowa cradled the lifeless boy for what seemed like forever. He wept into the soft golden hair until a hand rested on his shoulder. Slowly he looked up into dark eyes.

"He was very strong." Wu Fei said.

Trowa nodded as he laid the body onto the bed and covered him with a sheet. "The strongest."

XxX

To be continued. . .


	29. Chapter Twentyfour

XxX

Chapter Twenty-four

XxX

The banged boy stared out of the large bay windows out into the garden. He couldn't believe the amount of people that had gathered for Quatre's funeral, and memorial service. All of the blonde's sisters, minus Iria and Dorothy, the Maganac corps, Zechs, Noin, Une, Catherine. . .

"Oh, God. . ." He murmured, "I knew he touched people, but I had no idea. . ."

Relena and several of the girls from her school arrived, each baring a single white rose in honor of their friend, An old peddler from Sanc, Sally and Wu Fei, Hiiro. . .

"Where's Duo?" He frowned, noticing that Hiiro was alone.

XxX

"Hiiro. . ." Relena offered a small smile towards the boy's direction. Then she looked around and quirked an eyebrow, "Where's Duo?" she asked.

"He. . . He's not coming. . ." The boy glared at the grass.

"I'm sorry, Hiiro. Quatre was his best friend, I'm sure this must be difficult for him."

"Yeah. . ."

"How are you?"

"Hn." He grunted as he turned to leave.

"Hiiro. . ." Relena sighed. "It's okay, you know. . . He was your friend too."

Hiiro paused for a moment before leaving the former Queen and returning to the house.

XxX

Wu Fei frowned as he saw Hiiro return to the mansion. He looked up into what used to be the blonde's bedroom and saw the shadow of someone standing there in the window.

"Trowa. . ." He sighed, "I think you hurt worse out of all of us, yet you refuse to show it. . ."

"Wu Fei?" Sally asked, placing a gentle hand on his shoulder. He looked at her. "Are you okay? You seem really distracted."

"I. . ." He stopped, and thought about what he wanted to say, "I'm concerned that maybe Quatre isn't the only pilot we've lost."

"Trowa."

"And Duo. . ."

"And if Duo goes, Hiiro won't be far behind." A young woman's voice cut in. They turned to face Relena. "Forgive me." She apologized, "I didn't mean to eavesdrop. I was just coming to ask you about Hiiro." She looked down at the ground, "He doesn't look well."

Sally and Wu Fei exchanged glances. "I'm not sure he knows how to cope with all of this." The doctor said quietly.

"I'm not sure I know what you mean." Relena frowned.

"It's not in his programming." Wu Fei explained. "He was told to follow his emotions, but at the same time he was taught that emotions are hindrances to the mission."

"He's very confused right now."

"Trowa is another one who really doesn't know how to cope. He keeps everything locked up inside."

"The only person he ever really spoke to was Quatre." Sally said sadly.

"And Duo?" Relena asked.

Wu Fei sighed, "Duo. . . His way of coping is to make a joke out of everything, and he can't do that here. He doesn't know what to do either."

"Quatre was kind of the glue that held everyone together."

"What about you, Wu Fei? You seem to be doing fine, considering everything."

The Chinese boy glared at the grass. "I handle loss in my own way."

"Oh." Relena nodded, deciding not to press the matter.

Sally looked at how uncomfortable Wu Fei had become, "Relena," She smiled, "If you'll excuse us?"

"Of course." Relena apologized, "I didn't mean to intrude."

"Thank you, Sally." Wu Fei whispered, gratefully.

Sally smiled again, "Any time, Wu Fei."

XxX

Duo sat on the window sill, his arms hugging his knees to his chest. His head rested on his arms, a blank expression on his face. He stared out of the window, down at the crowd.

Some of them were crying, but some of them were laughing and chatting as if it weren't a sad occasion.

Duo glowered at those people angrily. He couldn't understand how they could be happy. He just couldn't understand it. 'DAMN IT!' He choked back tears, 'They should be feeling sad, they should be bawling their eyes out or screaming at the injustice of such a good soul dying. . .'

"Duo. . ." a gentle voice called to him from the door way. "Duo, look at me."

Duo stared straight out the window, and didn't even acknowledge the person, though his frame became tense.

A timid hand hovered just above the braided boy's shoulder, as if trying to determine whether or not to touch the boy. Finally the hand gripped the black clad shoulder, "Duo, do you think Quatre would want you to sulk like this?"

Duo still didn't respond.

"Duo, you're not being fair to him."

"FAIR!?!" Duo yelled, whipping around and pushing the person back, "QUATRE'S THE ONE WHO'S NOT BEING FAIR! WHY'D HE HAVE TO GO AND DIE? THIS ENTIRE THING ISN'T FAIR! NOT TO HIM, NOT TO ME AND NOT TO TROWA! SO DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT BEING FAIR!!!"

Hiiro looked at the braided boy, an impassive mask on his face. This was the most animated Duo had been since he heard of Quatre's fate. Now, the braided boy stood before him, trembling in repressed anger and grief. He looked as if he wanted to run, or hit something, or scream, or break down and cry his heart out, but couldn't seem to make up his mind. "Duo. . ." He sighed, "It's not fair. Nothing ever is. He did so much for other people, so much. . . that he just had a burnout. . . Quatre was a good person, and a strong soldier, and he was your friend. . ."

Duo began to shake his head, "No! NO! NO!" He wailed, tears finally falling down his face, "I was no friend of his. . .Oh, God! Hiiro!" He fell to his knees, weeping.

Tentatively, Hiiro knelt next to the boy and wrapped his arms around the boy. "It's okay, Duo." He promised.

"I didn't help him! I didn't even realize he was hurt! He needed me and I wasn't there!" He sobbed, "I wasn't there! I didn't even say goodbye. . ." He sobbed inconsolably, "I didn't even get to say goodbye. . ."

The Japanese boy rubbed the American's back, and let him cry. "You can say goodbye to him now." He suggested. "And remember what you loved about him."

"I don't have a place there. . ." Duo sniffled with a hiccupping whisper, "I'm no friend of his. . ."

"That's a load of shit." Hiiro said bluntly. "You were his best friend, and he'd be really disappointed to know that you were kicking yourself like this."

Duo didn't respond, his grip on Hiiro grew tighter though. "Hiiro. . ." He whispered, "Why him? Why not me? I'm Shinigami. . ."

"And you wear Pikachu boxers while watching Saturday anime. . ." Hiiro teased.

Duo glared at him, before his tears came again and he buried himself into Hiiro's embrace, "I feel awful, Hiiro. . . and there's nothing I can do to make this better. . ."

"So?" Hiiro asked, "You don't have to. Sometimes it's okay to just go with the flow."

The braided boy didn't have anything to say to that, so for once in his life, he just remained silent.

"It's almost time for the service." Hiiro said, still rubbing the boy's back, "Trowa is supposed to give the Eulogy. I'm sure it would mean a lot to both him and Quatre if we were all there to support him."

"I. . .I can't, Hiiro. . ." Duo whispered, almost sounding scared.

"Why not?"

The boy swallowed hard, "If. . . If I go to the funeral. . . It means that he's really not coming back. . . that I'll never see him again. . ."

"But Duo, you already knew this." Hiiro pointed out. "It'll probably help you feel better. . ."

"But I. . ." Duo looked up at his Koi, "I . . ."

"Do it for Quatre."

With a heavy sigh, Duo nodded his agreement.

XxX

Trowa stood at the pulpit, next to the open grave, and felt strangely at peace. He half expected to be nervous, considering his lack of communication skills, and the large amount of people gathered. But he was calm, serene. It was almost as if Quatre was standing next to him encouraging him.

He cleared his throat and began to speak.

_/"Quatre Raberba Winner was the kindest, most loving person I have ever had the privilege to meet. . ." /_

It seemed surreal.

_/"He was an excellent pilot, and he fought for what he believed in until the very end of his young life. . ." /_

Trowa paused. In the back of the crowd, he could see Hiiro and Duo as they joined the group. He also found Wu Fei and Sally. 'Yes,' He realized, 'We're really all here together. . .'

_/"Quatre loved just about everyone and he was loved by many. . . He cherished life above all things. He was quick to forgive everyone for anything . . . except himself. . ." /_

Trowa's voice cracked slightly and he paused to regain his composure. Catherine's gentle gaze met his cold emerald one.

_/"Quatre once made a mistake that almost killed me. . ." /_

He whispered, his speech forgotten.

_/"And he never could forgive himself. . ."/_

Sorrow filled Trowa and his resolve to get through this was quickly fading.

_/"He never understood that there was nothing to forgive . . ."/_

A hand gripped his shoulder.

_/"Because I had already forgiven him. . ."/_

Another hand gripped his other shoulder.

_/"Because I loved him. . ."/_

He turned to face those who stood with him. Wu Fei, Sally, Hiiro and Duo. . .

"We all loved him. . ." Sally said.

"And we still do . . ." Duo imputed. Hiiro squeezed his hand.

"Quatre asked me to promise him something before he died." Trowa said, looking at each of his friends, "I intend to keep my promise."

"What was it?" Hiiro asked.

"He asked that we would look after each other." Trowa whispered, a small smile crossing his face and a tear rolled down his cheek.

"I think that's a promise we will all keep." Duo said, earning nods of agreement from Sally, Wu Fei and Hiiro.

XxX

To be continued. . .


	30. Epilogue

XxX

Epilogue

XxX

Several months have past since the funeral. Although they didn't stay together, they did keep in touch.

Wu Fei and Sally joined the newly founded Preventers. They were currently on assignment in the L8 area. They were talking of getting married.

Hiiro and Duo were traveling from colony to colony and to Earth, removing threats to Relena's Peace efforts. Occasionally they would help Sally and Wu Fei as freelance agents. They seem very happy together.

Trowa stayed in the huge empty house that Quatre left him; Catherine or the other pilots occasionally visiting.

In the will it stated that the blonde wanted him to have a place of his own, that Trowa could call home. Quatre also left him his share of Winner Enterprises, so that he would be financially stable for the rest of his life. The final item that Trowa's precious little one had left him was the flute and violin on which they had played their first and only duet together. The rest of Quatre's possessions were divvied up between his family, the Maganac, the pilots and sold off at auctions, the proceeds going to the After War Recovery fund.

The banged boy often took the flute to the cemetery, and played what was on his heart. The wind carried the melancholy music up to the heavens, where he believed Quatre played along with him. Sometimes he missed the blonde so much he thought he would die, but there were times where it felt as if Quatre was still with him, and he could get by with everyday life.

Trowa tried to live his life as the person Quatre could love, and be proud of. At Sally and Wu Fei's prodding, he too joined the Preventers.

XxX

It was at one of these meeting where the question of the Gundams came up.

"They are dangerous. Several rogue groups have already tried to steal them." Sally reported.

"But they're our Gundams!" Duo protested, "Our partners!"

"Yes, Duo." Trowa acknowledged, "but in this era they're obsolete."

"So you're saying we should get rid of them?" Hiiro raised an eyebrow.

Wu Fei glared. He did not agree with that notion.

"I think it would be best." Trowa nodded, "It would be what Quatre would want."

The room became tense in silence.

"What do you suggest?" Hiiro asked.

"YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS!!!" Duo and Wu Fei exclaimed together.

Trowa blinked in surprise, of all the pilots, he didn't think Hiiro would be the one to support him. "I was thinking that we could send the Gundams and the design specs for them into the sun. That way there wouldn't be any trace of them and nothing for people to use to rebuild with."

Hiiro gave a curt nod, "Just send me the coordinates." He said getting up and leaving the room.

"B-But . . .Hiiro. . ." Duo protested, as WU Fei also stood.

The Chinese boy didn't cease to scowl, "I don't know how you came to that conclusion, but there is no way that I'm going to get rid of Nataku." He stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind him.

Sally stood to go after him, "Excuse me. . ." she apologized, "WU FEI. . ." She called.

Duo leaned back into his chair and drummed his fingers on the table. He was thinking. "Trowa. . ." He began slowly, "Why do you think Quatre would want this?"

"I can't say."

"He left it in his will, huh." Duo sighed heavily. "I have some hesitations about this." He admitted, "I mean. . . what if we need them again? What if another war breaks out?"  
  
Trowa shrugged, "Then we'll figure something out. Quatre believed in fighting for peace and in preserving it. The Gundams are a threat to that."

Duo sighed again before standing. "If it's what you and Hiiro think is right. . .and it's what Quat would want. . .then just send me the coordinates along with Hiiro."

"Thank you, Duo." Trowa nodded.

"Yeah. . . I just hope we don't regret it. . ." The braided boy mumbled, as he left the banged boy alone.

"We won't." Trowa said with certainty.

XxX

Owari

XxX

Authors note: Thank you for reading. I hope you all liked this.

Weissangel24


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